Democrats demand PPP's Kim Tae-gyu quit Assembly committee over insurrection remarks

The Democratic Party of Korea demanded that People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu resign from the National Assembly Operations Committee, setting off a clash between the parties at the committee on 21 October, Seoul Economic Daily reported. Democratic floor deputy leader Chun Jun-ho said the matter of Kim should be settled before the meeting began and demanded that Kim give up the party post and the committee seat. [ 1 ]

Chun cited Kim's remark that neither Chun Doo-hwan nor Yoon Suk-yeol committed insurrection. Chun said it was not a mistake but a deliberate denial, and that there had been no sincere apology. Democratic lawmaker Lee Jung-heon also urged Kim's resignation from the committee, saying nothing had changed even though a resolution urging expulsion had been passed. [ 1 ]

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Min-jeon responded by citing remarks made by Democratic lawmakers during the parliamentary audit period. Kim Min-jeon called Park Jie-won's comment to lawmaker Joo Jin-woo unethical language, and said the same of Park Gyun-taek's description of Kim Tae-gyu. Kim Min-jeon asked what the Democrats feared in trying to silence the opposition and accused them of seeking to protect Lee Jae-myung. Ruling-party lawmakers protested loudly when the president was mentioned. Choi Su-jin of the People Power Party cited remarks by Democratic politicians over a fire in Bucheon and told the Democrats to reflect before blaming Kim Tae-gyu. [ 1 ]

Lawmakers from both sides interrupted one another. Committee chair Han Byung-do, the Democratic floor leader, said that because objections had been raised he would review what measures he could take as chair. The committee was due to discuss witnesses for the audit that day. [ 1 ]

On 22 October Chun repeated the demand at a Democratic audit strategy meeting, Newsis and Chosun Ilbo reported. Chun said Kim had said on a YouTube programme in September that neither Chun Doo-hwan nor Yoon Suk-yeol committed insurrection, and described Kim as someone certain of that view rather than someone who misspoke. Chun also said Kim had made remarks about former president Roh Moo-hyun that were hard to repeat. Chun said Kim was the party's chief floor spokesperson and called on the People Power Party to remove Kim from that post and the committee and begin party disciplinary procedures, saying that silence was agreement. [ 2 , 3 ]

Newsis said Democratic policy chief Kim Han-gyu said he regretted that much effort had gone into answering opposition attacks during the audit. Chosun Ilbo reported that the Democrats also criticised People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk over a recently released recording of profanity at a drinking session. Park Sung-joon, the Democratic chief spokesperson, said in a written briefing that Jang should be driven out of Korean politics. The People Power Party said the recording captured harsh words from a drinking session and that it would check how it was obtained and spread and take legal action. [ 2 , 3 ]