No Peace in Cheonan City Council... Sexual Harassment Allegations and Lawsuits Among Fellow Council Members

Various Conflicts Remain Unresolved... Concerns Over a Potential Time Bomb

Cheonan City Council is facing difficulties as it gets embroiled in various controversies even before the official start of the second half of the council session. View of the Cheonan City Council main chamber.

The Cheonan City Council in South Chungcheong Province has been embroiled in various controversies since the beginning of the latter half of its term.

Allegations of sexual harassment by some council members, mutual accusations among colleagues, and rumors of changes in standing committee chairmanships due to internal party disciplinary actions have all surfaced one after another.

The Cheonan City Hall Public Officials Labor Union revealed on the 15th that Council Member A of the People Power Party had continuously sexually harassed and assaulted a female staff member of the council’s secretariat for over a year. It was also reported that when the victim informed Chairperson Kim Haenggeum of these incidents and requested a transfer, remarks such as “request to meet Council Member A face-to-face” and “postponement of transfer for two months” were made, sparking controversy over secondary victimization.

In response, Council Member A has completely denied the allegations of sexual harassment and announced that an official statement will be released on the 17th.

Additionally, Independent Council Member B, who was recently embroiled in controversy for sending abusive text messages to a fellow council member last month, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Council Member C, who disclosed the abusive messages and B’s real name at a press conference, on charges of defamation through publication.

Furthermore, the situation has become even more complicated as Council Member B has also been indicted without detention by prosecutors on charges of sexually harassing a fellow council member.

The Cheonan City Council’s Special Ethics Committee imposed a 30-day suspension on Council Member B, but B filed for a stay of disciplinary execution with the court, which was granted. The council immediately appealed, but a final decision has not yet been reached.

There are also expectations that some standing committee chair positions may change during the latter half of the term, and internal party conflicts may intensify during this process.

In fact, Democratic Party Council Member D, who recently received a two-year suspension of party membership, is currently undergoing an appeal process.

Council Member D was supposed to serve as a standing committee chair in the latter half of the term, but if the suspension is finalized after the appeal, controversy is expected over whether D can retain the chairmanship.

Recently, Democratic Party council members reportedly held a general meeting and agreed that any standing committee chair secured by the party must step down if they are expelled or suspended from party membership.

Accordingly, if the disciplinary action against Council Member D is finalized, latent internal party conflict over the standing committee chairmanship is likely to erupt.