Photo Posted in Group Chat Deemed "Clear Sexual Harassment"... City Council Member Disciplined

First Ethics Committee Convened in 34 Years
Violation of Duty to Maintain Dignity Recognized
"Ethical Standards to Be Overhauled... Pledge to Prevent Recurrence"

Naju City Council in South Jeolla Province has, for the first time since its establishment, finalized a disciplinary action of attendance suspension against a sitting council member. On December 26, the council announced that it convened a plenary session in the morning and passed a resolution for a "10-day suspension from attendance," recognizing a violation of the duty to maintain dignity under the Local Autonomy Act. This decision was made in response to the posting of inappropriate photos by some council members in a KakaoTalk group chat.

Statement from Naju City Council. Naju City Council

The incident occurred on October 15 in a KakaoTalk group chat that included city council members and officials from the Naju Regional Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea. Council member A posted a photo exposing the genitalia of a female puppy, which was criticized for potentially constituting sexual harassment. It is reported that the photo was posted immediately after a dispute over expressions among the members. Council member B, a woman, raised the issue, stating, "This is mockery of women and clearly constitutes sexual harassment." While some members also expressed concerns about the inappropriateness of the photo, council member A reportedly responded that there was nothing wrong with the action.

After receiving a disciplinary request, the council formed a Special Ethics Committee and launched a full investigation. The committee reviewed similar cases, sought advice from the Ethics Review Advisory Committee, and conducted legal reviews, ultimately determining that the act warranted severe disciplinary action. It was also noted that the post was made during an integrated training session on the four major types of workplace violence for senior officials, which was taken into account in deciding the level of disciplinary action. The plenary session accepted the findings of the Special Ethics Committee as they were.

This disciplinary action marks the first time in approximately 34 years since the council's establishment in 1991 that a Special Ethics Committee has been activated and a council member has been officially disciplined. In a statement, Naju City Council said, "We deeply apologize for causing concern as a representative body of the citizens," and added, "We will thoroughly review our ethical standards and educational system to prevent similar incidents from recurring." The Naju Regional Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea has also referred the matter to the Ethics Committee of the South Jeolla Provincial Party.