"Another Local Councilor Power Harassment Scandal... The Shadow Over North Gyeongsang Politics Deepens"

Controversy Over Verbal Abuse by Assemblyman Yoon Seungoh Spreads
Democratic Party: "People Power Party Must Take Immediate Disciplinary Action"

As a series of controversies involving verbal abuse and power harassment continue to shake the dignity of local councils in North Gyeongsang Province, public distrust in regional politics is deepening. The North Gyeongsang Provincial Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea recently issued strong criticism of repeated allegations of verbal abuse by Provincial Assemblyman Yoon Seungoh (Yeongcheon), calling for the immediate disciplinary action by the People Power Party.

◆ Swearing and shouting at Volunteer Conference... "Raised his hand in a threatening gesture"

The controversy began at the North Gyeongsang Province Volunteer Conference held at Yeongcheon Gymnasium on the 19th. Reports surfaced that Assemblyman Yoon hurled insults and shouted at a female public official, objecting to the omission of his introduction and a change in the order of congratulatory speeches. Witnesses testified that "he even raised his hand in a threatening manner."

It was reported that the public officials involved have since been receiving treatment for psychological shock and trauma. The North Gyeongsang Provincial Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea pointed out that this is "not a simple outburst of emotion, but a grave issue that shakes the foundation of the public sector."

◆ "Not a one-time incident, but habitual verbal abuse"... Three allegations raised just this year

This is not the first time Assemblyman Yoon has been embroiled in controversy over abusive language. On March 25, at the completion ceremony for the Yeongcheon Intelligent IoT Component Center, he allegedly verbally abused a provincial government official over being excluded from the congratulatory speeches. A similar incident was reported at a company groundbreaking ceremony on March 30.

In April, further allegations emerged that he swore at foundation and school officials at the 30th anniversary ceremony of a girls' high school in Yeongcheon, after not being invited. The controversy has grown, as the event was delayed by about 20 minutes in front of students and parents.

◆ Democratic Party: "Acts that undermine trust in local councils... People Power Party must take responsibility"

In a statement issued that day, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea described Assemblyman Yoon's actions as "serious misconduct that fundamentally shakes the dignity of local councils." The chapter stated, "Repeated power harassment that has driven victims to seek medical treatment can no longer be regarded as a personal issue," and urged, "The People Power Party must immediately conduct a thorough investigation and discipline Assemblyman Yoon Seungoh."

The statement also targeted structural problems in the nomination process. "Within a system where nomination virtually guarantees election, problematic individuals have not been screened out, and the party has repeatedly protected its own members when incidents occurred," it said, emphasizing, "A comprehensive review of the nomination system and decisive measures to exclude problematic individuals are urgently needed."

This incident has once again highlighted the need to address the dignity of local council members and to strengthen protection systems for public officials in the region's political circles.