By Do Je-hae
The National Assembly’s ethics panel has received 38 petitions for disciplinary measures to be taken against lawmakers allegedly involved in corruption, influence-peddling and sex abuse cases since April 2012, but no one has been punished, according to a ruling party lawmaker, Wednesday.
Of the 38 cases, 24 are still pending at the Special Committee on Ethics.
“The results show that the ethics committee is not functioning properly,” Saenuri Party lawmaker Hong Il-pyo said during a radio program.
Critics say the Assembly has been negligent in punishing unethical lawmakers despite negative public sentiment toward those who are accused.
A group of female lawmakers from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) called on the committee to punish former Saenuri Party lawmaker Shim Hag-bong, who recently left the party amid sexual harassment allegations.
The ruling Saenuri Party and the NPAD have their own ethics panels to judge and penalize improper conduct of their lawmakers. But the parties have been criticized for being lenient toward misbehaving lawmakers. The Saenuri Party’s ethics panel’s chief is vacant at the moment, making it more difficult for the party to deal with cases of misconduct.
The NPAD's ethics panel is conducting a probe into allegations that Rep. Yoon Hu-duk played a role in his lawyer-daughter's employment with LG Display in 2013. The Saenuri Party has hit by a similar scandal involving Rep. Kim Tae-won, who reportedly solicited favors on behalf of his lawyer-son gaining employment with the Korea Government Legal Service (KGLS).
Those two cases, which have been represented in the media as the latest symbol of legislators' abuse of power, have become a subject of mockery among netizens. The youth unemployment crisis has added to their hostility toward the Assembly.
“Lawmakers seem to think they can do whatever they want,” Twitter user "@paiks***" said. “The people have no use for such a haughty Assembly.”