Youngest Member of the 22nd National Assembly Calls for Disciplinary Action Against Lee Junseok
Son Sol Urges Immediate Response to Hate Speech and Discrimination
Progressive Party lawmaker Son Sol is speaking at the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News
Progressive Party lawmaker Son Sol, who entered the 22nd National Assembly as its youngest member, publicly called for disciplinary action against Reform New Party lawmaker Lee Junseok during her first plenary session.
On the 27th, immediately after taking her oath at the National Assembly plenary session, Son took to the official podium and said, "Please discipline lawmaker Lee Junseok," adding, "We must firmly demonstrate that politicians are held accountable for their words in order to stop hate and discrimination." She continued, "The National Assembly must respond to the demands of the people. The Special Committee on Ethics should be formed immediately, and the disciplinary motion must be discussed without delay."
Son pointed to Lee's remarks during the third TV debate of the June 3 presidential election as the issue. She said, "Watching that debate, I was left stunned as if I had been hit," and added, "The next day, I went out to campaign, but I was so drained that I couldn't even focus." She further argued, "The pain and devastation accumulated, resulting in a petition signed by 590,000 people demanding Lee's expulsion."
She said, "If someone like me, who has been active in a progressive party, finds this so difficult, imagine how much harder it must have been for ordinary young people," and added, "We can no longer allow hate speech to be justified in the political arena."
Regarding the impact of politicians' statements on society, Son said, "Hate flows from the top down like water. It spreads further and deeper," and warned, "If the National Assembly does not firmly control this, discrimination and hatred will spread throughout society." Lee watched her remarks with a stern expression.
Progressive Party lawmaker Son Sol is walking past Reform New Party lawmaker Lee Junseok toward his seat during the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News
Son, who is from Yeonggwang, Jeonnam, was born in 1995 and is the youngest member of the 22nd National Assembly. She previously served as president of the Ewha Womans University student council and as chief spokesperson for the Progressive Party. In last year's general election, she was assigned the 15th spot on the proportional representation list of the Democratic Alliance and secured a seat. She initially succeeded to her seat as a member of the Democratic Party, but after being expelled from the party, she rejoined the Progressive Party.
Even before entering the National Assembly, Son served as co-head of the Progressive Party's Deepfake Sexual Crime Response Task Force, addressing issues of misogyny and gender discrimination. She has also been active in campaigns such as supporting the victim of the Jinju convenience store short-cut assault case, backing the Dongduk Women's University protest, and urging the enactment of an anti-discrimination law to eradicate hate.
She stated, "At least in the public sphere, we must resolutely block hate and discrimination," and added, "I will actively propose bills to regulate hate speech and discrimination, including the anti-discrimination law."
On the same day, independent lawmaker Choi Hyukjin, who also succeeded to his seat, said in his plenary speech, "I will thoroughly investigate the forces behind the insurrection of Yoon Sukyeol and Kim Keonhee," and added, "I will realize politics that supports small business owners and revitalizes the local economy." Choi entered the National Assembly as the 16th candidate on the New Progressive Alliance's proportional representation list.
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