Three organizations representing victims of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising — the bereaved families association, the wounded veterans association and the meritorious service association — along with the May 18 Memorial Foundation urged the National Assembly on Thursday to immediately begin disciplinary proceedings against People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-suk over her alleged disparagement of the pro-democracy movement.
Lee co-hosted a forum at the National Assembly on Aug. 13 at which speakers described the May 18 Gwangju Uprising as a "riot" and made remarks that appeared to glorify former President Chun Doo-hwan.
The Democratic Party of Korea submitted a resolution calling for Lee's expulsion. The resolution passed at a plenary session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, driven by the broad ruling bloc.
"The passage of the expulsion resolution at the plenary session is only the beginning of the actual expulsion process," the May 18 groups said in a statement. "The Special Ethics Committee must be formed without delay." They also criticized the People Power Party for boycotting the vote on the resolution, saying the party "must take responsible part in forming the ethics committee and in the disciplinary process as well."
sij@heraldcorp.com
