Yeo's 'Sexual Harassment Controversy' Regarding Choi Kang-wook's Disciplinary Action... Possible Resolution Within Two Weeks

Determining Presence of Sexual Remarks and Secondary Harm
Park Ji-hyun "Proving Innovation Through Severe Punishment"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The Democratic Party of Korea will discuss on the 20th whether to discipline Representative Choi Kang-wook, who has been embroiled in a sexual harassment controversy. As this issue emerged just before the election and is considered a 'sexual scandal risk,' attention is focused on the party's decision.

The Democratic Party's Ethics Tribunal plans to hold a meeting on the day to discuss whether to discipline Representative Choi. During the meeting, they are expected to determine the presence of sexual misconduct by Representative Choi, whether there were any secondary damages or attempts to conceal the incident afterward, and decide on the disciplinary measures or severity. The meeting is reported to be held around 4 p.m.

According to the Democratic Party's rules and regulations, the Ethics Tribunal can decide on sanctions such as warnings, suspension of party office qualifications, suspension of party membership, or expulsion. Regarding this, a representative from the Ethics Tribunal stated, "It is uncertain whether the (disciplinary action) will be processed today, and everything is confidential," adding, "As an independent body, once the discussion results are reported, the process is complete." Spokesperson Jo Oh-seop also explained, "Since it is an independent body of the party, the party cannot confirm the details," and "If a conclusion is reached today, it will be reported to the next emergency committee."

Earlier, on the 2nd of last month, during an online video meeting of Democratic Party members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Representative Choi sparked controversy by using sexually harassing slang, criticizing a fellow member for not appearing on screen during the meeting. In response, the Democratic Party decided to refer the issue to the party's Ethics Tribunal for an official investigation. If the Ethics Tribunal decides on disciplinary action on this day, it is highly likely that the matter will be submitted to the emergency committee for processing as early as the 22nd.

The decision on disciplining Representative Choi is also linked to the party's reform momentum. Former co-chair of the emergency committee Park Ji-hyun broke her silence after three weeks on Facebook, urging, "I hope that today a heavy punishment will be imposed on Representative Choi and that the Democratic Party will clearly prove it has embarked on the path of innovation that the public desires," strongly calling for strict punishment once again.

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