PPP opens disciplinary process against lawmakers for ‘spin kick’ comment before meeting assault victim

The ethics committee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday decided to launch disciplinary action against two lawmakers over remarks widely criticized as insensitive toward the victim of a high-profile assault case.

Rep. Suh Bum-soo drew strong criticism after he was heard telling Rep. Jin Jong-oh to do a "spin kick" before the victim of a roundhouse kick assault arrived at a meeting at the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul on Tuesday.

Rep. Jin, a former Olympic pistol shooter, reportedly replied that he was better with his hands than with his feet.

The victim was brutally attacked in 2022 when a man followed her into her apartment building, struck her on the back of the head with a kick and repeatedly assaulted her until she passed out.

She had attended Tuesday's meeting to voice concerns about a recently passed bill that would strip prosecutors of their authority to conduct direct investigations, arguing that supplementary investigations by prosecutors played a key role in her case.

The ethics committee met early Friday and decided to open the disciplinary proceedings against the two lawmakers, it said in a press release. Both lawmakers earlier apologized to the victim.

Separately, the panel also decided to send written inquiries to Rep. Jin and two other lawmakers in connection with other disciplinary cases already under review.

Rep. Jin was referred to the committee for allegedly supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon for a parliamentary seat in the southeastern city of Busan ahead of the June 3 local elections for which the PPP had its own candidate.

The other two are six-term Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae — who is accused of making phone calls to lawmakers of other parties to try to prevent Rep. Park Duk-hyum from being elected as deputy National Assembly speaker — and Rep. Kwon Young-jin, who allegedly grabbed PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig by the collar while protesting parliamentary committee assignments last month.

Yonhap