Gwangmyeong City Councilor Who Went to a Motel with a Woman During Council Session Says, “Don’t I Have a Private Life?” and Leaves Democratic Party of Korea

[Financial News] Formal disciplinary proceedings have begun after a Gwangmyeong city councilor, who is reportedly married, came under fire for visiting a motel with a woman during the council session period.
According to the city council on the 11th, Councilor A of the Democratic Party of Korea at Gwangmyeong City Council visited a motel in Geumcheon District, Seoul, with a woman the previous afternoon. Photos of the two were later published by a local media outlet.
As the controversy grew, Councilor A left the Democratic Party of Korea that night.
Gwangmyeong City Council held the second plenary session of the second meeting of its 302nd regular session that day. It voted to refer a motion requesting disciplinary action against Councilor A to the Special Committee on Ethics for review. It also approved Councilor A’s resignation from the committee, of which the councilor had been a member.
Disciplinary measures against city councilors include expulsion for tax evasion, evasion of obligations, and various other illegal acts, as well as a warning, a public apology, and suspension from attendance for one month.
In Councilor A’s case, only the fact that the councilor visited a motel with a woman during the council session period has been confirmed. The nature of their relationship and what they did at the lodging facility have not been objectively verified.
Councilor A further fueled the controversy by explaining to the Gwangmyeong Regional Newspaper, “I went there because, as a man, I had ulterior motives,” and saying, “City council members also have private lives.”
The Gwangmyeong Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice and Practice issued a statement, saying, “This incident went beyond the scope of private life.” It called on Gwangmyeong City Council to issue an official apology, establish the facts through the Special Committee on Ethics, and impose severe disciplinary action on Councilor A.
The group continued, “Councilor A claims that the woman refused and that he did not cross the line, but this is a one-sided claim.” It added, “Considering the status of a city councilor elected by citizens, this is a serious incident.”
Four Gwangmyeong City Council members affiliated with the People Power Party also issued a statement condemning Councilor A and called for the councilor’s resignation and the highest level of disciplinary action.
The People Power Party criticized the situation, saying, “Leaving the party cannot serve as an absolution, and the responsibility of the Democratic Party of Korea, which nominated the councilor, does not disappear either.”
With the Gwangmyeong City Council Special Committee on Ethics now operating in response to the controversy, attention is focused on the level of disciplinary action Councilor A will face.
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter