Nat'l Assembly passes resolution calling for expulsion of opposition lawmaker
Summary
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to demand the expulsion of Rep. Lee Jin-sook over remarks tied to the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement. The resolution passed 157-1 in a parliamentary plenary session, with five People Power Party lawmakers taking part despite the party’s walkout. Lee said the chamber had fallen under the dictatorship of the Democratic Party of Korea. The resolution does not expel her, and a separate motion would need two-thirds approval of all sitting lawmakers.
Key Facts
- The forum Lee Jin-sook hosted on Aug. 13 included a participant who described the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement as a 10-day riot.
- The Gwangju uprising took place in the southwestern city in May 1980 and was brutally suppressed by the military.
- Five People Power Party lawmakers took part in the vote even though the party had decided to leave the chamber.
- A motion to dismiss a sitting lawmaker requires approval from at least two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers, which is currently 299 with one vacancy.
Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the main opposition People Power Party leaves the main chamber of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, ahead of a vote on a resolution calling for her expulsion. Yonhap
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to demand the expulsion of Rep. Lee Jin-sook over her involvement in an event that characterized the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement as a "riot."
Lee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has come under fire after a participant of a forum she hosted Aug. 13 described the movement as a "10-day riot" that occurred in the southwestern city in May 1980.
The pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed by the military at the time and remains a source of a political controversy.
In a vote at a parliamentary plenary session, the resolution passed 157-1, led by the ruling bloc. Five PPP lawmakers took part in the vote despite the party's decision to leave the chamber once the resolution was introduced.
Speaking to reporters outside the chamber, Lee likened the National Assembly to North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, saying parliament had fallen under "the dictatorship of the Democratic Party of Korea."
Wednesday's resolution does not affect Lee's membership. A separate motion needs to be passed in order to expel Lee.
Such a motion to dismiss a sitting lawmaker requires the approval of at least two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers, currently at 299 with one vacancy.
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