People Power Party's Unilateral Committee Summons Over Candidate Jung Won-oh Sparks Democratic Party Backlash

The People Power Party (PPP) unilaterally convened the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee to discuss allegations surrounding a past assault case involving Jung Won-oh, a candidate for Seoul mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea. In response, the Democratic Party denounced the move as a 'malicious distortion of the incident' and threatened legal action. The PPP had urgently summoned the committee to question Jung about his past incident, framing it as an issue concerning a public candidate's gender sensitivity and integrity. However, Democratic Party lawmakers and officials from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family did not attend the meeting. The PPP raised suspicions that the incident's cause was a demand for an overnight stay with a hostess at an entertainment establishment.

Candidate Jung Won-oh stated that his past assault conviction stemmed from political disputes over issues like the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. He countered the current offensive by asserting that those responsible would face legal consequences, citing court rulings and past media reports as evidence and labeling the accusations as 'negative campaigning or smear tactics.' Kang Jun-hyun, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, criticized the PPP's claims as an 'ill-intentioned attempt' to exploit the case by disguising a political dispute documented in court rulings as 'sexual misconduct' for electoral gain. Lawmakers Seo Young-kyo, Lee Joo-hee, and Kim Nam-hee pointed out the potential violation of laws related to spreading false information and announced their intention to file a complaint.

This dispute highlights the clash between the two major parties during the candidate vetting process ahead of the Seoul mayoral election. The PPP has raised questions about Jung's qualifications by emphasizing his past assault record, while the Democratic Party has labeled it as political maneuvering and the spread of false information, signaling potential legal responses.