Gominjeong Apologizes for Claiming Immunity Privilege for Won Heeryong, Saying "I Mistook Him for an Incumbent"

Ko Min-jung, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung retracted and apologized for her claim that Won Hee-ryong, head of policy at the People Power Party’s election committee, appeared to have used parliamentary immunity in the National Assembly.

On the 18th, Ko wrote on her Facebook, "Because he has such great political influence and is imprinted in my mind as a famous politician, I was mistaken." She added, "I apologize for my mistake in confusing him as a current lawmaker," and "I look forward to meeting him as a current lawmaker next time."

This is interpreted as a retraction of the privilege controversy Ko previously raised against Won. On the 17th, Ko appeared on YTN and said, "I am curious why Won Hee-ryong spoke like that in the National Assembly. Usually, when speaking in the National Assembly, one is not subject to judicial judgment, so I wondered if that was the case."

This was a claim that Won deliberately raised suspicions about Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, in the National Assembly by relying on parliamentary immunity. However, Won is not a current lawmaker and thus is not covered by parliamentary immunity. People Power Party lawmaker Park Soo-young emphasized on the same broadcast, "Won is not a current lawmaker, so parliamentary immunity does not apply to him when he speaks in the National Assembly."

Won also wrote on his Facebook on the 18th, "I am not a subject of parliamentary immunity, but I have no intention of cowardly hiding." He criticized, "Avoiding the issues I raised and talking about privileges I do not have must be a distorted loyalty to defend the Daejang-dong gate somehow," adding, "It only showed the trembling figure of Ko Min-jung, co-head of the election committee’s joint situation room."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.