Science and Technology Information Broadcasting and Communications Committee Chairman Song Ki-heon speaks with ruling party floor manager Han Jun-ho (right) and opposition floor manager Choi Hyeong-du (left) during a plenary session of the committee at the National Assembly on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
Science and Technology Information Broadcasting and Communications Committee Chairman Song Ki-heon speaks with ruling party floor manager Han Jun-ho (right) and opposition floor manager Choi Hyeong-du (left) during a plenary session of the committee at the National Assembly on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed sharply Wednesday at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Science and Technology Information Broadcasting and Communications Committee over a forum on the May 18 pro-democracy movement hosted by People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-suk.

The Democratic Party of Korea accused Lee of insulting the victims and bereaved families of the May 18 pro-democracy movement and demanded she resign from both the committee and her Assembly seat. Lee expressed regret over the Democratic Party's claims and rebuffed them, saying the pro-democracy movement "must not become a sacred, untouchable subject."

Democratic Party members on the committee held a press conference before the session, again urging Lee to step down. "Rep. Lee pushed ahead with an event that distorted and denigrated May 18, warping history, trampling on national consensus and going against the spirit of the times," they said.

They added that a lawmaker on a committee charged with protecting democracy and public media had "reduced the National Assembly — the hall of the people's will — to a stage for far-right historical distortion and regional hatred." They also called on the People Power Party to discipline Lee and cooperate in proceedings to expel her from the Assembly.

Han Jun-ho, the ruling party's floor manager on the committee, said during the session that the Special Act on the May 18 Democratization Movement prohibits the spread of false information. "Does calling it an academic forum grant a free pass?" he said.

Lawmaker Lee Jeong-heon also raised his voice at Lee Jin-suk, saying she had, under the guise of "reexamining" the May 18 pro-democracy movement, introduced the claim that "May 18 was the main culprit behind the contamination and decay of the 1987 system." "You have again driven a nail into the hearts of the citizens of Gwangju, the bereaved families and the victims of May 18," he said.

He also asked committee Chairman Song Ki-heon to order Lee Jin-suk to leave the session, saying that proceeding with the meeting as planned on Wednesday would be "no different from granting a free pass to historical distortion."

Fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Jeong-a criticized Lee as well, saying that "those who belittle the pro-democracy movement as a riot and praise Chun Doo-hwan, who bears responsibility for the massacre, have entered the National Assembly using Lee Jin-suk as a stepping stone." "This is not a matter of ruling versus opposition — it is a difference between common sense and its absence, between normal and abnormal," she said.

Lee Jin-suk rebuffed the criticism, saying that if the May 18 pro-democracy movement is what allows Koreans to enjoy democracy today, "the foremost value it stands for is freedom of expression."

She added that she had opened the forum with condolences to the victims and bereaved families, "particularly those who lost their lives," and drew a line over remarks made at the event, saying she had "no authority to control what is said at an academic forum."

She told Democratic Party lawmakers that if they were unhappy with the forum, they were welcome to hold their own at the same venue. People Power Party floor manager Choi Hyeong-du said it was "inconsistent and factually wrong" to treat remarks made at an academic event as reflecting Lee's own views, calling the Democratic Party's stance an attempt to silence debate. Lawmaker Cheon Ho also defended Lee, saying she "made no remarks herself" on the day of the forum, Aug. 13.


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