The leadership of the People Power Party has decided not to pursue disciplinary action against Representative Lee Jin-sook, who has come under fire for hosting a forum on the Gwangju Uprising with right-wing groups.
Park Seong-hoon, the party's chief spokesperson, responded to questions from reporters at the National Assembly regarding Lee's referral to the Central Ethics Committee, stating, "It was not a party event, so I cannot provide specific comments. However, it was an academic event, and Representative Lee has clarified that her remarks during the event do not reflect her personal views. Therefore, we are not currently considering any disciplinary measures."
He added, "The People Power Party has repeatedly expressed its position on the Gwangju Uprising. We are aware of the concerns of the public and hope that this does not lead to excessive political attacks."
Previously, on August 13, Lee co-hosted a public forum titled 'Revisiting the Gwangju Uprising' at the National Assembly Library in collaboration with the civic group New History National Movement. During the forum, a presentation that referred to the Gwangju Uprising as a 'disturbance' sparked significant backlash, particularly from the Democratic Party.
On August 14, the Democratic Party submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat, urging the expulsion of Lee, signed by all of its lawmakers. There were also critical responses within the People Power Party, with some members deeming her remarks inappropriate. Some party members even filed a complaint against Lee with the party's Ethics Committee, condemning her for sitting alongside Heo Hwa-pyeong, the chairman of the Future Korea Foundation and a former aide to Chun Doo-hwan, the military leader during the uprising.
In response to the controversy, Lee has maintained that the Gwangju Uprising should not be treated as a sacred issue and insists that there was nothing wrong with the forum.
Park Seong-hoon, the party's chief spokesperson, responded to questions from reporters at the National Assembly regarding Lee's referral to the Central Ethics Committee, stating, "It was not a party event, so I cannot provide specific comments. However, it was an academic event, and Representative Lee has clarified that her remarks during the event do not reflect her personal views. Therefore, we are not currently considering any disciplinary measures."
He added, "The People Power Party has repeatedly expressed its position on the Gwangju Uprising. We are aware of the concerns of the public and hope that this does not lead to excessive political attacks."
Previously, on August 13, Lee co-hosted a public forum titled 'Revisiting the Gwangju Uprising' at the National Assembly Library in collaboration with the civic group New History National Movement. During the forum, a presentation that referred to the Gwangju Uprising as a 'disturbance' sparked significant backlash, particularly from the Democratic Party.
On August 14, the Democratic Party submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat, urging the expulsion of Lee, signed by all of its lawmakers. There were also critical responses within the People Power Party, with some members deeming her remarks inappropriate. Some party members even filed a complaint against Lee with the party's Ethics Committee, condemning her for sitting alongside Heo Hwa-pyeong, the chairman of the Future Korea Foundation and a former aide to Chun Doo-hwan, the military leader during the uprising.
In response to the controversy, Lee has maintained that the Gwangju Uprising should not be treated as a sacred issue and insists that there was nothing wrong with the forum.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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