Choi Kangwook Receives One-Year Suspension of Democratic Party Membership Over Secondary Victimization Remarks Controversy

Secondary Victimization Remarks in Cho Kuk Innovation Party Sexual Misconduct Case
Democratic Party: "Damaged Dignity as Party Official, Violated Code of Ethics"

Choi Kangwook, former member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who became embroiled in controversy over remarks deemed as secondary victimization against the victim in the Cho Kuk Innovation Party sexual misconduct case, has been suspended from party membership for one year.

Choi Kangwook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 18th. The Supreme Court verdict on Choi, who is accused of issuing a false internship certificate to the son of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, will be delivered on the same day. If the sentence is confirmed, Choi will lose his parliamentary seat. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

According to the National Assembly on September 17, the Democratic Party's Ethics Tribunal imposed a one-year suspension of party membership on Choi the previous day. Han Dongsu, head of the Democratic Party's Ethics Tribunal, told reporters, "We determined that he damaged the dignity expected of a party official and violated the party's code of ethics," adding, "This constitutes a severe disciplinary action."

According to political sources, at the end of last month, Choi reportedly made secondary victim-blaming remarks such as "Is it really a matter of life and death?" regarding the Cho Kuk Innovation Party sexual misconduct case during a lecture at a Daejeon-Sejong market event hosted by the Cho Kuk Innovation Party.

Choi had previously been pardoned and reinstated through the first Liberation Day special pardon by the Lee Jaemyung administration. He lost his parliamentary seat after being convicted of issuing a false internship certificate to the son of former party leader Cho Kuk.

The Cho Kuk Innovation Party sexual misconduct case came to light in April, when it was revealed that a senior official of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party had sexually harassed and assaulted another party official.