By Lee Tae-hoon
The advisory panel of the parliamentary Ethics Committee has recommended removing a lawmaker expelled from the ruling party for sexist remarks from his seat in the National Assembly, officials said Thursday.
Rep. Kang Yong-seok made the comments in July last year at a dinner with some 20 collegians who had participated in a speech contest hosted by the National Assembly.
When one of the students told him that she would like to be a TV announcer, he said, “Do you know that you have to give ‘everything’ to become an announcer? You want to become an announcer despite this?”
Kang’s remarks came as a shock to student as they insinuated that female TV newsreaders had to provide sexual services for others.
The Harvard-educated lawmaker denied the allegation, that he was trying to say a female newscaster must “go all the way” with her superior for success.
However, the governing Grand National Party immediately ousted and forbade him from rejoining the party for five years as his denial only infuriated the public and TV announcers.
If the lawmakers of the Ethics Committee approve the panel’s recommendation, the National Assembly will put it into a vote in a plenary session.