Daejeon Women's Groups Demand All City Council Members Who Rejected Sexual Harassment Expulsion Step Down

Protest in Front of Daejeon City Council... "Daejeon City Council for Citizens Is Dead"

On the morning of the 10th, women's organizations in Daejeon, the Progressive Party, and the Justice Party Daejeon City Branch held a rally in front of the Daejeon City Council regarding the rejection of the expulsion proposal against Daejeon City Council member Song Hwalseop, who is accused of sexual harassment. / Daejeon=Photo by Park Jongmyung

Women's organizations in Daejeon and others have called for the resignation of all members of the Daejeon City Council following the rejection of an expulsion proposal against Councilor Song Hwal-seop, who is under police investigation for sexual harassment charges.

Daejeon Yeo Min Hoe, Daejeon Women's Association, the Progressive Party, and the Justice Party's Daejeon branch held a rally in front of the Daejeon City Council on the morning of the 10th, stating, "There is a Daejeon City Council for Song Hwal-seop, but the Daejeon City Council for the citizens is dead."

The vice-chairperson of the Progressive Party's Daejeon branch said, "The Daejeon City Council failed in prevention and also threw away the last chance with the expulsion proposal suggested by the ethics committee. The council's choice has brought distrust and anger, and the basic principles that councilors must uphold to earn residents' trust have been trampled on."

He continued, "We will fight until Councilor Song Hwal-seop resigns immediately, the council members who became accomplices in this situation also step down, and there is a genuine apology and proper punishment for the victims."

Previously, the Daejeon City Council rejected the expulsion of Councilor Song, which had been decided by the ethics committee, in a plenary vote with 7 in favor, 13 against, and 1 abstention. Councilor Song was sued on charges of sexual harassment, including touching the body of a woman who was helping with an election campaign in a building ahead of the National Assembly election last February.