Nat'l Assembly passes resolution calling for expulsion of opposition lawmaker

On Wednesday, the National Assembly passed a resolution proposed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to call for the expulsion of opposition lawmaker Rep. Lee Jin-sook. The decision stems from her role in an event where she referred to the 1980 Gwangju democratization movement as a "10-day riot." This characterization took place during a forum she hosted on August 13.

Lee, representing the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has faced criticism for her remarks. The pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju, which occurred in May 1980, was brutally suppressed by the military at the time and continues to be a significant political controversy. In a parliamentary vote, the resolution was approved with a 157-1 margin, led by the ruling DPK. Despite the party's decision to leave the chamber once the resolution was introduced, five PPP lawmakers participated in the vote.

Upon leaving the chamber, Lee compared the National Assembly to North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, accusing parliament of falling under the "dictatorship of the Democratic Party of Korea." The resolution, however, does not impact Lee's membership in the National Assembly.