Kwon Youngjin 'Throttling Incident' Fallout... Supreme Council to Discuss Tomorrow

Steps Down from Daegu Party Chairman and Administrative Committee Post

Calls for "Taking Responsibility" Grow Within Party

The aftermath of the "collar-grabbing" incident involving People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Youngjin continues, even after his apology. The People Power Party plans to discuss follow-up measures regarding the incident at its Supreme Council meeting scheduled for the 27th.

Chief Spokesperson Choi Boyoon told reporters at the National Assembly on the 26th, "It seems that many disciplinary requests have been submitted regarding Assemblyman Kwon's actions and remarks. I believe the party's Ethics Committee will deliberate on these matters."

People Power Party lawmaker Youngjin Kwon is moving after the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News

She added, "A large number of party members are demanding severe punishment. There are voices questioning whether an apology is sufficient," and explained, "We are fully aware of these sentiments, and I expect the Supreme Council will discuss them tomorrow."

Following the incident, Assemblyman Kwon issued a written apology and announced that he would not take on the roles of the next Daegu City Party Chairman or the secretary of the Public Administration and Security Committee. As a result, the schedule for electing the Daegu City Party Chairman has been temporarily postponed, and Assemblyman Kang Myunggu will serve as the new secretary of the Public Administration and Security Committee.

However, criticism towards Assemblyman Kwon continues. Floor spokesperson Choi Sujin told reporters at the National Assembly that day, "Shouldn't he determine his own course of action?" She added, "Grabbing someone by the collar is akin to an act of violence." She continued, "Regardless of the reason, this is something that simply cannot happen in our party, and I am told this is the first time it has occurred. Lawmakers believe a strong response is necessary to prevent recurrence."

She also reported that Assemblyman Kwon has been referred to the Ethics Committee by an external civic group.

Within the party, there are also calls for Assemblyman Kwon to take responsibility. Assemblyman Yoon Sanghyun wrote on his social media, "The attitude of recognizing one's mistake and offering a sincere apology, in the spirit of 'Buhyeongcheongjoe' (admitting one’s wrongdoing with humility in front of peers), is exactly the starting point of change and renewal that our party must show to the public."

Assemblyman Yoo Youngha also stated, "Personally, I liked him and felt comfortable around him, but I simply cannot find any reason to defend him," adding, "I believe he must show accountability."

Previously, on the 23rd, Assemblyman Kwon, dissatisfied with the allocation of standing committee positions, strongly protested by visiting the floor leader's office and grabbing floor leader Jung Jeomsik by the collar. Since his written apology, Assemblyman Kwon has not made any further statements.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.