Lee Gyu-won, a secretary general of the Rebuilding Korea Party and a former prosecutor, mentioned regarding the sexual misconduct incident that arose within the party, 'sexual harassment is not a crime.'
Lee Gyu-won, the Secretary General of the Rebuilding Korea Party (Judicial Research and Training Institute 36th class), who ran as the 22nd proportional representative of the Rebuilding Korea Party during the 22nd general election, explained on the JTBC YouTube program 'Genre Only Yeouido' on the afternoon of the 5th regarding the criticism asking, 'Was it appropriate to go to karaoke on the day former leader Cho Kuk entered the Seoul detention center?' by saying, 'We had an evening gathering to lift the spirits as the atmosphere was low.'
In response to the question about whether 'there were sexual harassment incidents that were hard to mention on that occasion,' the Secretary General emphasized again, 'sexual harassment is not a crime. Well, it would be a violation of the duty to maintain dignity,' adding, 'verbal abuse is not a crime.'
Meanwhile, Choi Hyeon-seon, the Secretary General of the Rebuilding Korea Party, stated through Facebook that 'there are some inappropriate elements in Rep. Choi Kang-wook's remarks, but I don't think Rep. Choi has any reason to attack the victim,' and defended Choi Kang-wook amid controversies regarding secondary harm. Choi is currently under ethical investigation from the Democratic Party of Korea.
Choi was reported to have mentioned at the Rebuilding Korea Party's Daejeon-Sejong political academy on the 31st of last month that 'as someone observing the situation from a distance, is it really a matter of life and death?' and asked, 'Who has forcibly sexually assaulted several female prosecutors like Han Dong-hoon?'
He then reportedly targeted the person who raised the issue, saying, 'I don't know how you were harmed, and I'm not sure if this is really a matter worth fighting over to that extent,' using the term 'pigs.'
In response, Choi stated through Facebook that 'in the process of answering, emotions were involved more than necessary, resulting in excessive expressions and examples,' and he humbly accepted the criticism that it could be viewed as 'secondary harm' against the victims.
However, he expressed regret, stating that 'I sincerely made this statement without any thought of disregarding specific individuals or belittling the parties involved, meaning that there is a need for unity in the framework of the Rebuilding Korea Party.'