Kim Min-seok Refers Choi Min-hee's Remarks to Ethics Tribunal

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok received a report on Friday from the party's ethics watchdog into the controversy surrounding Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee's remarks and behavior, and ordered the case be referred to the central party's Ethics Tribunal, which decides whether disciplinary action is warranted. The party announced this in a media notice issued in the name of its public relations office.

Kim had ordered an 'immediate ethics inspection' of Choi on Tuesday. The Ethics Inspection Unit, which reports directly to the party leader, can relay the findings and recommend disciplinary measures to the Ethics Tribunal. The unit is known to have referred the case to the tribunal with a disciplinary recommendation, though the proposed level of punishment was not disclosed. As a result, Choi has moved into the disciplinary process just three days after the inspection was ordered.

Choi drew controversy after reportedly calling photo and video journalists covering the National Assembly a 'pack of hyenas' in a group chatroom that included district party members. That was compounded by reports that she said at a closed-door meeting with district members last month that 'President Lee Jae-myung, when he was party leader, opposed impeaching former President Yoon Suk-yeol and was leaning toward calling for his resignation.'

The central party's Ethics Tribunal, which will hear the case, consists of nine judges including its chair, and under the party constitution and rules at least half of its members must come from outside the party. A party leadership official said, 'Given the nature of the matter, the schedule could be set sooner than usual.' A swift proceeding could affect Choi's standing within the party.