During a meeting of the National Assembly's Science and Technology Committee on August 19, lawmakers from the Democratic Party demanded a public apology or resignation from Lee Jin-sook, a member of the People Power Party. They accused her of distorting and belittling the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement during a forum she hosted on August 13. Lee rejected the claims, arguing that the event was an academic discussion and that she did not make direct statements on the matter, leading to a disruption of the committee's proceedings.
The committee was scheduled to address several agenda items, including the appointment of a vice chair, the formation of subcommittees, the extension of petition review periods, and the approval of agency reports and budget expenditures. However, only the appointments of the vice chair and subcommittees were discussed and voted on, while the remaining items were not addressed.
Democratic lawmakers criticized Lee as soon as the meeting began. Representative Lee Jeong-heon stated, "I believe the only way for the National Assembly to uphold democracy and a minimum historical conscience is to immediately remove this lawmaker. If we proceed with this meeting, it would be tantamount to granting a pardon for historical distortion."
Han Jun-ho, the ruling party's vice chair, also expressed concern, stating, "It is problematic to provide the public authority of the National Assembly to someone who twists historically and judicially confirmed facts and insults victims from specific regions. At the very least, she should apologize for the committee to function smoothly."
Committee Chair Song Gi-heon urged Lee to apologize, saying, "The forum has caused emotional distress to many citizens, and there are those who feel pain from it. Please make a personal statement to facilitate the committee's work."
In response, Lee stated, "I do not believe we must all express the same opinion on the May 18 Democratization Movement. If the spirit of May 18 is to be included in the constitutional preamble, we need to reflect on it, which is why I co-hosted the forum."
She added, "The disruption of the committee is due to the Democratic Party's remarks, which seem to constitute collective violence against me. I do not agree that holding an academic forum would lead to the disruption of this committee. If the Democratic Party holds an academic forum on May 18, I will attend and listen."
The People Power Party defended Lee, stating that she merely hosted the forum and did not make any statements regarding May 18. Choi Hyung-doo, the newly appointed opposition vice chair, remarked, "From the first meeting, the Democratic Party has unilaterally questioned Lee's qualifications. This issue has a separate public forum, so we should proceed with the committee's work as planned."
As the Democratic Party continued to demand Lee's apology or resignation and she refused to comply, Chair Song declared a recess. However, after more than two hours of recess, which included a meal break, negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties failed, leading to the meeting's adjournment.
Chair Song stated, "The Science and Technology Committee deals with issues related to false and manipulated information. Addressing this situation is essential to uphold the minimum principles necessary for our committee to fulfill its role. Today's meeting cannot proceed normally. I sincerely apologize to those who prepared for this meeting."
The committee was scheduled to address several agenda items, including the appointment of a vice chair, the formation of subcommittees, the extension of petition review periods, and the approval of agency reports and budget expenditures. However, only the appointments of the vice chair and subcommittees were discussed and voted on, while the remaining items were not addressed.
Democratic lawmakers criticized Lee as soon as the meeting began. Representative Lee Jeong-heon stated, "I believe the only way for the National Assembly to uphold democracy and a minimum historical conscience is to immediately remove this lawmaker. If we proceed with this meeting, it would be tantamount to granting a pardon for historical distortion."
Han Jun-ho, the ruling party's vice chair, also expressed concern, stating, "It is problematic to provide the public authority of the National Assembly to someone who twists historically and judicially confirmed facts and insults victims from specific regions. At the very least, she should apologize for the committee to function smoothly."
Committee Chair Song Gi-heon urged Lee to apologize, saying, "The forum has caused emotional distress to many citizens, and there are those who feel pain from it. Please make a personal statement to facilitate the committee's work."
In response, Lee stated, "I do not believe we must all express the same opinion on the May 18 Democratization Movement. If the spirit of May 18 is to be included in the constitutional preamble, we need to reflect on it, which is why I co-hosted the forum."
She added, "The disruption of the committee is due to the Democratic Party's remarks, which seem to constitute collective violence against me. I do not agree that holding an academic forum would lead to the disruption of this committee. If the Democratic Party holds an academic forum on May 18, I will attend and listen."
The People Power Party defended Lee, stating that she merely hosted the forum and did not make any statements regarding May 18. Choi Hyung-doo, the newly appointed opposition vice chair, remarked, "From the first meeting, the Democratic Party has unilaterally questioned Lee's qualifications. This issue has a separate public forum, so we should proceed with the committee's work as planned."
As the Democratic Party continued to demand Lee's apology or resignation and she refused to comply, Chair Song declared a recess. However, after more than two hours of recess, which included a meal break, negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties failed, leading to the meeting's adjournment.
Chair Song stated, "The Science and Technology Committee deals with issues related to false and manipulated information. Addressing this situation is essential to uphold the minimum principles necessary for our committee to fulfill its role. Today's meeting cannot proceed normally. I sincerely apologize to those who prepared for this meeting."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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