Jin-sook Lee's Absence from National Audit... Opposition Party to "Issue Accompaniment Order"

Ruling Party Backlash: "Impeachment Trial Is Equivalent to Death Penalty Demand"

From the first day of the National Assembly's audit, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook's absence as a witness. The opposition insisted that Chairperson Lee must appear even if a compulsory attendance order is issued, while the ruling party argued that instead of summoning Lee, who is suspended from duty due to impeachment proceedings, efforts should focus on normalizing the Broadcasting and Communications Commission.

Lee Jin-sook, nominee for the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, is delivering a greeting at the confirmation hearing held on the 24th at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the 7th, at the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Jeong-ah said, "Chairperson Lee appeared on conservative YouTube channels but refused the National Assembly's legitimate request to appear as a witness," adding, "She claims she will not attend because she is suspended from duty, but that is a sophism." Chairperson Lee submitted a letter of absence to the National Assembly, stating that she cannot appear as a witness while suspended from duty. Lawmaker Hwang emphasized, "Although she is suspended from duty, the letter of absence, which was personally delivered to her, was submitted by a Broadcasting and Communications Commission employee," and added, "An employee who should be performing official duties communicated with Chairperson Lee, who is suspended from duty."

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hun-gi said, "She claims she cannot attend the audit due to suspension from duty following impeachment proceedings, but she appeared on YouTube three times," and argued, "The National Assembly should pass a compulsory attendance order and summon Chairperson Lee to the hearing. If she refuses, it should be regarded as contempt of the National Assembly." According to Article 13 of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal in the National Assembly, if a witness refuses a compulsory attendance order or deliberately avoids receiving the order, they may be punished by imprisonment for up to five years.

Committee Chairperson Choi Min-hee demanded Chairperson Lee's attendance as a witness by 2 p.m. that day. The reason was that Lee had appeared as a witness at a hearing related to the appointment of the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Board director on August 14, even after the impeachment resolution, so her absence only at the audit was unacceptable.

The ruling party immediately pushed back. Choi Hyung-doo, the ruling party's secretary of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, said, "The impeachment trial of Chairperson Lee is equivalent to a death sentence for a public official," and added, "Instead of calling Chairperson Lee to hear her story, we should request that the impeachment trial proceed quickly." Park Choong-kwon, a member of the ruling party, said, "It is the first day of the audit, but I feel dismayed by the political strife aimed solely at destroying Lee Jin-sook," and pointed out, "Digital sex crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread, but the opposition has no efforts to normalize the situation and only intends to summon Chairperson Lee to ask questions."