As of the morning of the 8th, a national petition demanding the expulsion of Lee Jun-seok, a lawmaker from the Reform New Party, has gained the support of over 345,440 people. This petition arose due to inappropriate comments he made during a televised debate in the last presidential election, where he referenced women’s bodies. The repercussions of these remarks have not subsided.
According to the parliamentary national consensus petition board, by 9:30 AM on the 8th, the petition calling for the expulsion of Lee had received 345,440 endorsements since it was posted on the 4th.
For a petition to be established, it needs the agreement of more than 50,000 people within 30 days of being made public. Consequently, the National Assembly is expected to discuss whether to expel the lawmaker. However, the committee responsible for the review has not been determined.
The petitioner argued, “In the third debate, Rep. Lee used language that described violence against women’s bodies to attack an opponent while all citizens were watching,” stating this was “unprecedented in constitutional history, using women’s bodies as tools for political attacks.”
Furthermore, they claimed, “The use of inappropriate and violent language during the debate and the irresponsible attitude of justifying his actions afterward significantly undermine the trust of sovereign citizens and damage the dignity of national lawmakers.” The petitioner demanded the expulsion of Rep. Lee according to Article 155 (Discipline) Clause 16 of the National Assembly Act for breaking the law.
To expel a member of the National Assembly, more than two-thirds of the assembly members must agree. There is currently no precedent for a lawmaker being expelled from office.
Previously, on the 5th, Rep. Lee told reporters after the Reform New Party’s campaign headquarters disbandment ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul, “I thought the comments about women’s bodies were necessary during the candidate verification process,” but admitted, “Honestly, I did not anticipate that so many would find it uncomfortable. If I could go back to the debate, I would refrain from making such comments,” and added, “I will use more refined expressions going forward.”