"Watch Yourself": Yangsan City Council Member's Abusive Remarks... Union Demands Resignation

Union Demands Resignation and Expulsion Over Verbal Abuse Allegations
Kang Taeyoung Says, "I Deeply Reflect on My Use of Inappropriate Language"

Kang Taeyoung, a member of the Yangsan City Council in South Gyeongsang Province from the Democratic Party of Korea, has been accused of verbally abusing and swearing at public officials. In response, the public officials' union has demanded a public apology and his resignation from the council. As the controversy spread, Assemblyman Kang issued an apology via email, stating, "I deeply reflect on my use of inappropriate language."

Press Conference Urging Apology and Resignation of Kang Taeyoung, Yangsan City Council Member. National Public Officials Labor Union Yangsan Branch

On December 17, the Yangsan Branch of the National Public Officials Labor Union held a press conference in front of the Yangsan City Council, urging, "Assemblyman Kang, who abused his superior position to bully and verbally abuse staff, must immediately issue a public apology and resign from his post."

According to the union, on December 2, Assemblyman Kang happened to encounter four staff members from the council secretariat while they were dining at a restaurant in Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan. During this meeting, Kang reportedly made remarks to a female staff member such as, "You'd better watch yourself. Go ahead, keep acting up. Do you have about ten public official ID cards?" and "Do you want to strip me of my position (expel me from the council)?" for approximately 20 minutes.

A union representative stated, "In the past, Assemblyman Kang had never used abusive language or insults, so we were shocked that he did so on this occasion without any particular reason."

The union also claimed that after returning to the council, Assemblyman Kang continued to pressure the staff who had been at the restaurant, questioning their work attitude and instructing them to "turn on your PC," among other actions.

Union Demands Expulsion... Assemblyman Kang Apologizes for Inappropriate Language

The union criticized, "Due to Assemblyman Kang's actions, the affected staff have suffered irreparable psychological and physical pain. He has abandoned the moral standards expected of a citizens' representative and has damaged the honor of Yangsan citizens." The union further called on the city council to "not dismiss this incident as a personal deviation, but to take strong measures such as expelling Assemblyman Kang to prevent recurrence."

As the controversy grew, Assemblyman Kang distributed an apology via email on the same day, expressing his regret. He stated, "I sincerely apologize to the staff who felt discomfort and were hurt by this incident. I deeply reflect on using inappropriate language in a situation where emotions ran high during the regular council session."

He added, "I have personally visited each team within the council to express my apologies and am faithfully participating in official procedures. I will strictly reflect on myself to ensure this never happens again and will work harder to restore trust with my fellow council members."