National Assembly Operational Committee members passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu after he stated during a YouTube broadcast that Chun Doo-hwan’s military regime did not commit insurrection. The 16-member committee approved the motion in a unanimous 16-0 vote during a plenary session on October 2, following opposition lawmakers’ decisions to abstain or walk out from the proceedings. Ruling party and opposition members clashed sharply over the boundaries of lawmakers’ freedom of expression versus the constitutional obligations to respect established judicial rulings.
Operational Committee Passes Expulsion Resolution Without Waiting For Deliberation Period
Operational Committee Chairperson and Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do brought the expulsion resolution to a vote by utilizing committee authority to bypass the standard 20-day deliberation period mandated by the National Assembly Act. Han stated during the session that defending insurrectionists amounts to self-renunciation of a lawmaker’s qualifications and warned that failing to penalize such rhetoric invites renewed attempts to undermine democracy. Democratic Party floor spokesperson Lee Ju-hee confirmed that the party officially adopted the push for Kim’s expulsion as a formal party platform during an earlier general meeting of lawmakers. People Power Party lawmaker Choi Su-jin countered the measure during the committee meeting, arguing that no judicial judgment or majority legislative power can force the restriction of fundamental freedom of expression granted to individual citizens and constitutional organs like members of parliament. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Gyun-taek responded that invoking freedom of expression is invalid when denying the Constitution and supreme court rulings.
Broadcasting Remarks Spark Expanded Political Outcry And Disciplinary Demands
The disciplinary push follows comments Kim made on September 30, while appearing on the JTBC YouTube channel program “Genre Man Yeouido.” Discussing the film “The Assassins,” the program host asked Kim whether former president Chun Doo-hwan’s actions constituted an insurrection, to which Kim replied that he did not think so and asserted that calling it an insurrection definitively requires further historical evaluation. A Supreme Court full bench ruling on April 17, 1997, formally recognized Chun’s insurrection charges and finalized a life imprisonment sentence. Lawmakers from the Democratic Party and the Progressive Party, including Park Gyun-taek, Kim Dong-a, and Son Sol, held a joint press conference at the National Assembly to demand Kim’s immediate removal from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, describing his remarks as a severe disqualifier for a legislator tasked with upholding legal order.
Did You Know?
The Supreme Court full bench officially affirmed Chun Doo-hwan’s conviction on insurrection charges, handing down a life imprisonment sentence on April 17, 1997.
Lawmaker Expresses Regret While Defending Historical Debate
Kim released a written statement on October 2, expressing regret that his remarks created room for misunderstanding while maintaining that his primary target was the problematic framing of historical facts in fictional media. Kim explained that his initial affirmative answer regarding the insurrection label during the debate’s opening moments served as a rhetorical contrast against creative distortions, rather than an attempt to deny established historical records concerning the May 18 Democratization Movement. He added that questioning aspects of the December 12 incident involving martial law commander Jeong Seung-hwa remains a legitimate subject for ongoing public discourse. Media outlet Media Today reported that Kim repeatedly declined to label Chun’s actions as an insurrection during the original broadcast, arguing that differing viewpoints continue to exist across different political factions regarding historical evaluations and memoirs.
Key Questions About the Political Controversy and Legal Verdicts
When did the National Assembly Operational Committee pass the expulsion resolution against Kim Tae-gyu?
The committee passed the resolution in a 16-0 vote during its plenary session on October 2.
What specific broadcast platform hosted the remarks that triggered the political controversy?
The remarks were made on September 30, during an appearance on the JTBC YouTube channel program titled “Genre Man Yeouido.”
When did the Supreme Court finalize the legal verdict regarding Chun Doo-hwan’s insurrection charges?
A Supreme Court full bench finalized the ruling recognizing Chun’s insurrection charges and sentencing him to life imprisonment on April 17, 1997.
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