Daejeon Women's Group Urges City Council to Convene Ethics Committee and Discipline Lawmaker for Sexual Misconduct

"Do Not Cover for Your Own People, Take Firm Disciplinary Action"

Women's organizations in Daejeon have urged the Daejeon City Council to convene an ethics committee to discipline a city council member who has been sued over allegations of sexual harassment.

Daejeon Yeo Min Hoe, Daejeon Women's Association United, Daejeon Women's Violence Prevention Counseling Center, and Daejeon Civil Society Organizations Solidarity held a press conference in front of the Daejeon City Council on the morning of the 10th, stating, "The recurrence of this sexual harassment incident is largely due to the incompetence and complacency of the Daejeon City Council."

They continued, "Last year, when Council Member A was suspended from party membership for one month due to a sexual misconduct case, the council did not convene a special ethics committee," and criticized, "At that time, women's organizations in Daejeon urged the council to promptly investigate the sexual misconduct case of Council Member A in accordance with due process, but the council's special ethics committee remained silent, citing the lack of disciplinary standards for sexual misconduct in the Daejeon City Code of Ethics and Implementation Ordinance."

They added, "The Daejeon City Council must not blur the essence of Council Member A's inappropriate and immoral sexual harassment case with the same lukewarm attitude and protectionism as last year, but must take firm disciplinary action," and emphasized, "The council must no longer stand by as Council Member A refuses to acknowledge his wrongdoing, fails to apologize to the victim, denies his actions, and attacks citizens demanding accountability as engaging in political offensives."

Meanwhile, Council Member A was accused by a female victim of repeatedly making physical contact, including touching her body, while she was helping at an election campaign office in a building ahead of the general election in February. The victim has filed a complaint with the police.

The Daejeon City branch of the People Power Party decided to initiate disciplinary action against Council Member A on the 2nd, but Council Member A submitted his resignation from the party to the branch on the 5th.