Why did the National Assembly committee move to expel Rep. Kim Tae-kyu?

The committee acted after Kim, of the People Power Party, said in a YouTube interview that he did not view Chun Doo-hwan or Yoon Suk Yeol as having committed insurrection. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said that defending such figures undermines the constitutional order.

Can the resolution passed against Kim Tae-kyu actually expel him from the National Assembly?

No. Friday’s vote was only a resolution, so a separate motion must still be reviewed by a special ethics committee and then approved by at least two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers in plenary session.

What did Kim Tae-kyu say after the controversy over his remarks on Chun Doo-hwan?

Kim said on Facebook that he regretted causing misunderstanding and said it was not his intention. He added that he would be more careful with his choice of words from now on.

Parliamentary committee passes resolution calling for expulsion of opposition lawmaker

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Summary

A parliamentary committee on Friday passed a ruling party-led resolution to seek the expulsion of Rep. Kim Tae-kyu over remarks denying that former President Chun Doo-hwan committed insurrection. Kim, a main opposition People Power Party lawmaker, drew criticism after a YouTube interview and later said he regretted causing misunderstanding. The resolution passed 16-0, with PPP lawmakers boycotting the vote. It cannot expel him by itself and must still go through a special ethics committee and a plenary vote with two-thirds support.

Key Facts

Kim Tae-kyu said in a YouTube interview the previous day that he did not consider Chun Doo-hwan or former President Yoon Suk Yeol to have committed insurrection.
Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996, later reduced to life imprisonment, on charges including insurrection tied to the 1979 coup and the military crackdown on the Gwangju democratization movement in May 1980.
The National Assembly’s House Steering Committee approved the resolution 16-0, with People Power Party lawmakers refusing to participate in the vote.
DPK floor leader Han Byung-do said defending people who committed insurrection and undermined the constitutional order means giving up one’s qualification as a lawmaker.
Kim later posted on Facebook that he regretted providing grounds for misunderstanding and would be more careful with his choice of words.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 2, 2026 4:27 pm KST

Rep. Kim Tae-kyu of the main opposition People Power Party speaks during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

A parliamentary committee on Friday passed a resolution led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to demand the expulsion of Rep. Kim Tae-kyu over his remarks denying that former President Chun Doo-hwan had committed an "insurrection."

Kim of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) came under fire after he appeared in a YouTube interview the previous day and said he did not consider either Chun or former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law in December 2024, to have committed insurrection.

Chun was sentenced to death in 1996, later reduced to life imprisonment, on charges that included insurrection for his roles in a 1979 coup and the military's violent suppression of the Gwangju democratization movement in May 1980.

In a vote at the National Assembly's House Steering Committee, the resolution passed 16-0, with PPP lawmakers refusing to take part in the vote.

"Defending those who committed insurrection and undermined the constitutional order amounts to giving up one's qualification as a lawmaker," DPK floor leader Han Byung-do said, referring to Kim.

Shortly before the vote, Kim expressed regret for causing "misunderstanding" in a Facebook post.

"Although it was not my intention, I regret having provided the grounds for misunderstanding," he said. "I will be more careful with my choice of words from now on."

Friday's resolution itself cannot expel Kim. A separate motion must be reviewed by a special ethics committee and approved by at least two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers at a parliamentary plenary session.

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