PPP to file police complaint against DP's Choo Mi-ae, judiciary committee chair

The conservative People Power Party (PPP) said on Friday that it will file a police complaint against Choo Mi-ae, a liberal Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker and the chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, accusing her of abuse of power.

In a statement released to the press, the PPP’s internal audit office said Choo arbitrarily exercised her authority during a committee meeting, including expelling PPP lawmakers from the session and revoking their speaking rights.

Earlier, Lee Jong-bae, a PPP member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, filed a separate complaint with the prosecution against Choo and DP Chairman Jung Chung-rae, accusing them of coercion and obstruction of official duties in connection to their call for Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de to step down.

Similarly, a PPP staff association strongly criticized DP lawmaker Seo Young-kyo for repeatedly naming a specific PPP aide during Wednesday's full committee session.

During the meeting, Seo reportedly questioned why the aide had asked administrative staff for a copy of the National Assembly audit schedule, saying, “The schedule was already sent. Why is this aide picking a fight with Chair Choo?” while openly naming the staffer.

"The aide in question is suffering severe distress," the association said in a statement, demanding an apology from Seo.

“This is the same lawmaker who caused controversy for hiring a family member as an aide and had to leave the party,” said former PPP Chairman Han Dong-hoon, criticizing Seo’s conduct on Facebook. “Did she treat her own relative-turned-aide this way too?”

BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]