People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-su. [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-su. [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-su apologized Tuesday after exchanging an inappropriate joke with a fellow lawmaker shortly before a National Assembly forum on criminal procedure reform that the victim in the "Busan spinning kick" case, identified by the pseudonym Kim Jin-ju, was set to attend.

Seo posted an apology on Facebook, saying he had made a verbal slip before the start of an emergency forum on abolishing supplementary investigative powers. "I will offer no excuses," he wrote. "The fault is entirely mine."

"The pain of being a crime victim should never be treated lightly," he said. "Above all, I cannot hold my head up when I think of the hurt the victim — who endured so much and found the courage to attend the forum — must have felt upon learning of these remarks. I bow my head in sincere apology to the victim and her family."

He added that he had failed to honor the gravity of the occasion, which had been organized out of a desperate desire to ensure that no more victims suffer unjustly under the abolition of supplementary investigative powers. "The responsibility for that rests entirely with me," he said. He went on to say that, if the victim would allow it, he would visit her in person to apologize. "I will reflect on myself again and again so that nothing like this ever happens again," he said.

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon speaks at a forum titled "The Gates of Hell Have Opened — Abolishing Supplementary Investigative Powers" held at the National Assembly members' office building on Tuesday. To Han's right is Kim Jin-ju (pseudonym), the victim in the Busan spinning kick case. [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon speaks at a forum titled "The Gates of Hell Have Opened — Abolishing Supplementary Investigative Powers" held at the National Assembly members' office building on Tuesday. To Han's right is Kim Jin-ju (pseudonym), the victim in the Busan spinning kick case. [Yonhap]

The controversy erupted after it emerged that Seo, before the start of the forum hosted by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and attended by victim Kim, had turned to PPP lawmaker Jin Jong-oh — seated across from him — and said, "Why don't you throw a spinning kick?" Jin reportedly replied in a joking tone, suggesting he was better with his hands than his feet.

Kim had not yet arrived at the forum venue at the time, but the remarks drew criticism for using the facts of a sexual violence case as material for a joke.

Jin also issued a statement Tuesday, offering "a sincere apology to the victim, the attendees and the public" for his inappropriate remarks before the forum. "I will take this as an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the pain of victims and remind myself again of the weight that every word from a public official carries," he said.

Kim told Yonhap she had no interest in meeting the lawmakers or accepting their apologies. "I hope that after the forum they truly felt how serious the harm done to crime victims is," she said. "What matters right now is that crime victims are living in hell, and the public is being made to live in hell. I ask that everyone focus on that issue."


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