Shin Dong-wook: "Kim Tae-gyu Was Baited by the Show's Host"

The Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday called on the People Power Party to immediately join in expelling Rep. Kim Tae-gyu, who has drawn criticism for saying "Chun Doo-hwan's coup was not a rebellion." "Freedom of expression does not include the freedom to deny an insurrection," Park Sung-joon, the party's chief spokesperson, said in a written briefing. He noted that it was the Park Geun-hye administration, under the People Power Party's predecessor Saenuri Party, that invoked defensive democracy to push for the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, asking, "Why does that strict standard stop only at members of your own party?"

Shin Dong-wook, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said on KBS's "Lightning Interview" on Sunday that Rep. Kim was, in part, baited by the program's host. He said Rep. Kim had explained the circumstances of his remarks, and that this should be viewed separately from the question of expulsion.

The expulsion of a National Assembly member must go through review by the Assembly's Special Committee on Ethics. Although the Democratic Party and the People Power Party agreed last July to form the ethics committee with six seats each, they have postponed its formation on the grounds that an even split between the ruling and opposition parties would make it difficult to reach conclusions on contentious matters. On the 2nd, the National Assembly Steering Committee passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of Rep. Kim Tae-gyu by secret ballot, as People Power Party lawmakers protested what they called an attempt to "gag" free expression and walked out before the vote.

Rep. Kim had stated his position on the disciplinary motion submitted against him by the Democratic Party in a five-minute speech during the 10th plenary session of the National Assembly's regular session on the 1st.