The Democratic Party of Korea has begun procedures to expel People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-suk over a controversy about "belittling May 18." The party took issue with a "May 18 reexamination" forum Lee held the previous day.
Lee said, "These are not my views or the official position of the People Power Party," but added, "Saying there is no need for debate is forcing people to recognize May 18 as a sacred realm."
On the afternoon of the 14th, the Democratic Party submitted to the National Assembly a "resolution urging the expulsion of lawmaker Lee Jin-suk" in the name of all its lawmakers, saying, "Lee Jin-suk gathered people who belittle the spirit of May 18 and did not hesitate to deny even historically established facts," and, "It is embarrassing to even call Lee a colleague and Lee is unfit to be a lawmaker."
The party added, "Lee must step down from the National Assembly immediately," and said, "We also asked the National Assembly speaker to form the ethics committee." It continued, "Even the opposition parties recommended putting the event on hold or requested its cancellation, and the speaker did the same, so we think there is already a considerable degree of consensus within the National Assembly on expulsion."
The controversial "May 18 reexamination" forum (co-hosted by Lee Jin-suk's office and the New History National Movement) was organized with the stated aim of reexamining the May 18 Democratic Uprising from a perspective different from existing historical interpretations.
At the event, former Seoul National University professor Lee Young-hoon described May 18 as "a ten-day disturbance that took place in Gwangju in May 1980," and said, "Former President Chun Doo-hwan is not a murderer," and "Honam and the Juche faction had a symbiotic relationship, covering each other's weak points," remarks that fueled the backlash.
In response, Lee held a press conference that afternoon and directly countered the Democratic Party's offensive. Lee said the remarks were neither Lee's nor the party's official position, and that banning debate itself is coercion.
Lee said, "Not every expression and claim made by individual presenters at the forum is my view as the organizer or the official position of the People Power Party," and added, "Arguing that there is no longer any need for debate because May 18 has been defined as a democratic movement by special law is forcing people to recognize May 18 as a sacred realm."
Lee continued, "May 18 is part of Korea's modern history," and said, "With eyewitnesses who directly experienced it still alive and with many materials remaining, I believe research on May 18 should be conducted more actively."
Lee also asked, "Regarding May 18, which you say you will include in the preamble to the Constitution, are you saying we should not hold forums? Or are you saying May 18 is the Democratic Party's exclusive property, so no one outside the Democratic Party should touch it?"