On the 21st, Han Dong-soo, head of the Democratic Party of Korea ethics tribunal, said the ethics tribunal chief issued an ex officio investigation order on two matters: lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae's sexual misconduct case and lawmaker Choi Min-hee's alleged wedding congratulatory money.
Han appeared on MBC Radio on the morning of the day and said, "On the 19th, the day lawmaker Kim Byung-kee left the party, the central party ethics tribunal chief also became able to issue an ex officio investigation order to the ethics tribunal on those matters," and stated accordingly.
She added that investigations and disciplinary actions are separate and proceed under party rule Article 22, and said it will generally proceed under party rules and procedures.
According to Article 22 of the Democratic Party rules, "When the party leader, the supreme council, the party affairs committee, or the central party ethics tribunal chief judges that a party member has committed the relevant act, they may order an investigation by the central party or the relevant city/province party ethics tribunal." It also provides that if a city/province party ethics tribunal does not conduct an investigation within 30 days, the central party ethics tribunal may, after its own investigation, directly decide on disciplinary action.
In Oct. 2024, Jang was investigated by police on suspicion of sexually harassing National Assembly aides at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul. Choi was said to have held a wedding for a child at the National Assembly during last year's parliamentary audit and to have received congratulatory money from an audited agency, sparking a conflict-of-interest controversy.