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PPP Rep. Na accuses judiciary committee chair of power abuse for expelling lawmakers

Published: 24 Sep. 2025, 15:34

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party protests against a disciplinary order issued by committee chairwoman Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party during a Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Sept. 22. [YONHAP]

People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Na Kyung-won said Wednesday that National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Choo Mi-ae abused her authority when she expelled PPP lawmakers from a committee session and stripped them of speaking rights. Na said her party is considering filing a criminal complaint.

“The committee chair abused her power to block lawmakers from speaking and debating. This clearly constitutes abuse of authority,” Na told reporters at the National Assembly, regarding a Monday hearing where Choo expelled three lawmakers on grounds of maintaining order after they refused to remove political slogans.

“We are discussing measures that go beyond referring her to the ethics committee and may pursue criminal liability," Na said.

Na criticized the Democratic Party’s (DP) handling of parliamentary affairs, saying it misused the National Assembly Act to silence opposition lawmakers. “This is turning into a parliamentary dictatorship,” she said.

She also objected to the media's framing of the dispute as a clash between the DP's Choo and herself. “I feel insulted when the media reduces this issue to a ‘Choo-Na clash,’” she said.

Na argued that Choo had overreached by invoking disciplinary powers and deploying security personnel in the recent judiciary committee session. “There was no violent behavior, yet [Choo] abused [her] security powers," she said. "The National Assembly Secretariat also bears responsibility.”

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party protests against a disciplinary order issued by Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party during a Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Sept. 22. [YONHAP]

Turning to the upcoming parliamentary hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de, Na said the public’s primary concern was not about an alleged meeting between Jo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, but about the authenticity of a recording released by the YouTube channel Open Mind TV.

“What the public wants to know is not rumors of a meeting between the chief justice and the former prime minister, but the truth about the fabricated recording and conspiracy pushed by Open Mind TV,” Na said, calling for a separate hearing.

Jo faces accusations of election interference after the Supreme Court overturned a not-guilty verdict for Lee Jae Myung, then-candidate for the DP, in an election law case just before the June presidential election. Open Mind TV aired an audio recording in which a source alleges that Jo met with Han before the ruling and stated he would "take care" of Lee's case. Conservative lawmakers argue the recording was fabricated.

In May, DP lawmaker Seo Young-kyo raised suspicions that Jo met with Han to discuss President Lee’s trial and played the disputed recording from Open Mind TV during a judiciary committee session.

Na said the ruling DP had refused to formally accept the recording as evidence but used it to attack the judiciary anyway.

“They made absurd claims of overturning the president’s trial based on a fabricated transcript, yet refused to enter the transcript as evidence. We must summon those involved, including Open Mind TV figures, to get to the truth,” she said.

Na also condemned the DP's judicial reform agenda.

“Plans such as revising the Corruption Investigation Office Act, creating a special court for insurrection cases and abolishing the prosecution are all steps toward destroying the Constitution,” she said. “The DP’s ultimate goal is to control the judiciary to resolve President Lee Jae Myung’s legal risks.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]