[Editorial] Rep. Choi has to be expelled

It is a sorry sight to see Choi Yeon-hee back in the National Assembly, saying he is there to participate in regular parliamentary activities. It was not too long ago that Choi fondled the breasts of a female journalist from the daily DongA Ilbo. Sure, the accused needs to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, but it would be hard to apply that principle in this case, as there were many witnesses present at the time and because Choi himself admits much about what happened. Once in court, he said he was too drunk to remember anything, but he still could not deny that he had committed sexual assault. The best he could do was ask the judge to consider the extenuating circumstances, namely that he was ’not himself’ at the time.

It is nothing short of an affront to the country and the National Assembly to have someone who committed a shameless and criminal act of sexual violence, and someone who was told by his fellow legislators to resign, to claim his innocence with this kind of argument. Choi went on about how much liquor he can handle, and yet he then appeared at the Assembly as a representative of the people.

However, the National Assembly itself has responsibility to bear for the current situation. Choi was referred to the Special Committee on Ethics in April, but the committee put him up for review only for his personal behavior and not for activity potentially requiring official censure. According to the National Assembly Law, the censure of an Assembly member requires that his actions call for it, and that a bill to remove him is passed on the main floor, but since sexual assault does not ’directly relate’ to Choi’s parliamentary activities, he could not be censured on that basis. This has understandably angered womens’ groups, who have submitted a popular petition calling for the law to be amended so that the ethics committee can issue censure for unethical behavior and actions that violate the civil rights of others. These groups are also pushing for the law to specifically stipulate that sexual assault, domestic violence, and involvement in prostitution are crimes relating to civil rights. They want an ethics inquiry committee that includes citizens other than legislators, and they also want the general public to have the right to call for ethics inquiries. But the amendment petition they submitted has not been given any attention.

The National Assembly needs to revise the National Assembly Law as soon as possible so as to restore the public’s confidence. It then needs to show the country it is serious about sexual crimes by expelling Choi according to the new law. If the body does not have the ability to clean up its own act, the people will have no choice but to consider the introduction of a system of voter recall. One of the points of democracy is that the voters who choose Assembly members have the right to judge their faults.