Main opposition lawmaker offers to give up seat, end presidential bid over father's land deal
Rep. Yun Hee-suk of the main opposition People Power Party announces her decision to give up her parliamentary seat in a press conference held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 25. Yonhap
Rep. Yun Hee-suk, a rising freshman lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), on Wednesday offered to give up her parliamentary seat and presidential bid over her father's suspected violation of the farmland law in the past.
Yun was one of 12 PPP members identified Monday in a probe by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) as being linked to allegedly irregular real estate dealings in the past. The probe was the latest in the ACRC's parliament-wide examination into property dealings linked to legislators in the past.
On Tuesday, the PPP leadership reviewed individual cases of the lawmakers in question and decided to expel one member and recommend five others to leave the party. Yun was cleared of charges by the party, as the case was that of her father's violation of the farmland law and not directly connected to Yun.
Yun, who rose to national fame last year with her parliamentary speech criticizing the government and the ruling party's set of new tenant protection laws, nonetheless decided to give up her seat and presidential bid.
"I will return my National Assembly seat to the constituents of the Seocho-gap district and the people," Yun announced during a press conference at parliament. "I am now suspending my journey in the primary for the presidential candidacy."
Yun explained her decision as being based on the "sense of crisis" that she may end up "demolishing a key axis" in the opposition's battle to achieve a change of government in the upcoming presidential race, labeling the government's real estate policy failure and criticism on the ruling bloc's double standard culture as one of the biggest flash point issues in the presidential race.
Yun also suggested the ACRC probe was politically motivated, calling the investigation an "irrational move intended to damage the reputation of an opposition lawmaker who has lived independently from her father for over 30 years."
She also called the ACRC investigation a "ridiculous probe."
People Power Party Chairperson Lee Jun-seok, right, asks Rep. Yun Hee-suk of his party to withdraw decision to give up her parliamentary seat, Aug. 25. Yonhap
Despite the announcement, it is unclear as of now when and if Yun will be able to resign. During a session of the National Assembly, a sitting legislator's resignation is decided by a majority approval in a plenary session. The parliamentary speaker decides whether or not to accept a resignation during off-session periods.
"The (ruling) Democratic Party (DP) currently controls parliament. It will delightfully approve my resignation," Yun said when asked whether she thinks the vote will be passed. "It's hard to imagine them not passing my resignation as I have aggressively attacked the ruling party's presidential contenders," she added.
PPP's leadership tried to discourage Yun from resigning. Lee Jun-seok, the party chairman who was at Yun's press conference, said with teary eyes he was certain she "had nothing to be held responsible for."
Yun replied, "This is my way of politics."
The ACRC probe was the latest in a series of measures presented in the wake of a large land speculation scandal involving employees of the state-run Korea Land Housing Corp. (LH) that shook the nation in March. It followed a similar one conducted on members of the DP, in which 12 lawmakers were alleged to have been linked to questionable dealings in the past.
The probe was carried out as the Moon Jae-in government and the DP struggle to address and punish speculative activities in the real estate market by public sector workers, amid growing public frustration over skyrocketing housing prices.
The LH scandal and the steep growth in housing prices have been blamed for the DP's crushing defeat in the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections. In June, a police-led probe reported over 500 suspected public sector land speculation cases to the prosecution for further investigation. (Yonhap)