Drunk Driving and Unlicensed Driving Ulsan City Council Member 'Warned', Repercussions Continue

【Financial News Ulsan=Choi Soo-sang Reporter】 Hong Seong-woo, a Ulsan City Council member (People Power Party), who was caught by the police while driving without a license due to a previous drunk driving incident, received a light disciplinary action of 'warning' as expected. Among the nationwide city, district, and county council members who have received disciplinary actions related to drunk driving recently, this is the lightest, leading to criticism of protecting their own.
On the 23rd, the Ulsan City Council finalized the disciplinary proposal at the 258th second plenary session. With 19 in favor and 2 against out of 21 members present, it was passed by a majority. The Ulsan City Council consists of 22 members: 19 from the People Power Party, 2 from the Democratic Party, and 1 independent. 
Chairman Lee Seong-ryong stated, "We sternly warn Council Member Hong Seong-woo for violating the duty to maintain dignity as reviewed by the Ethics Special Committee," and "We hope the council member will fulfill their responsibilities and duties to prevent such cases from recurring in the future."
Council Member Hong was disqualified from driving for drunk driving just a month after being elected in August 2022.
He continued to drive without a license for nearly two years without notifying the council, was caught by the police, and received a summary order of a 3 million won fine.


Despite being a serious criminal act in terms of social norms, such a light disciplinary action was anticipated.
Before the proposal was submitted, the Ulsan City Council Ethics Special Committee had already decided on a 'warning' for Council Member Hong at the end of June. The Ethics Special Committee consists of 9 members, 7 of whom are from the People Power Party.
In particular, the Ethics Special Committee did not proceed with the disciplinary procedure for 3 months after Council Member Hong was referred to the committee, and 6 months after the drunk driving incident, leading civic groups to file a complaint with the prosecution against Ethics Special Committee Chairperson Cheon Mi-gyeong. 
Before the plenary session, civic groups raised their voices, saying, "As a legislative body, it is necessary to amend the disciplinary action to a severe punishment to uphold public ethics and integrity," but as the Ulsan City Council is predominantly composed of People Power Party members, it ended with a 'warning' as expected.  
Democratic Party Council Member Son Geun-ho, who attended the plenary session, also emphasized, "The trust of the citizens should come before internal discomfort," citing examples from other regions and stressing the need to break away from the outdated practice of protecting their own.
On the 22nd, the Daegu Nam-gu Council, predominantly composed of People Power Party members, unanimously expelled Council Member Jeong Jae-mok, who was suspected of handing over the steering wheel to a passenger due to concerns about being caught for drunk driving.
The Daegu Nam-gu Council consists of 5 People Power Party members, 2 Democratic Party members, and 1 independent. Council Member Jeong, who was from the People Power Party, submitted a withdrawal letter on the 17th of last month after causing controversy over the drunk driving incident.
In contrast, in March, the Incheon City Council received criticism for 'protecting their own' after issuing a '30-day attendance suspension' to Council Member Shin Chung-sik, who was caught drunk driving twice. Within the Incheon City Council, there are discussions to further strengthen the disciplinary level or to restrict the payment of parliamentary activity expenses or monthly allowances.
The level of disciplinary action against Ulsan City Council Member Hong Seong-woo is lower than this, and the repercussions are expected to continue until the next local election.



ulsan@fnnews.com Choi Soo-sang Reporter