Lawmaker Lee Jin-suk expelled over Gwangju Uprising remarks; protests expulsion

Lee Jin-suk, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, dramatically exited a parliamentary session on May 26 as a motion to expel her was being considered. The expulsion was prompted by her controversial remarks that appeared to downplay the significance of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a pivotal event in South Korea's democratization movement.

The motion, driven by the ruling Democratic Party, passed with an overwhelming 157 votes in favor out of 159 total votes. The majority of Lee's own party, the People Power Party, boycotted the vote and left the chamber in protest of the motion's tabling. However, a few members, including Cho Kyeong-tae, Kim Ye-ji, Han Ji-ah, and Woo Jae-joon, remained and participated in the vote.

As the vote commenced, Lee Jin-suk left the hall. In her exit, she was seen shouting back at Democratic Party lawmakers who were protesting. She was eventually led out by Yoon Yong-geun, another People Power Party member. Outside the chamber, Lee expressed her frustration, telling reporters, "Is this the kind of Korea it has become, where we cannot even speak about the May 18th incident?" She accused the Democratic Party of "taking away the freedom of speech of even lawmakers who represent the people, through a one-party dictatorship."

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Is this the kind of Korea it has become, where we cannot even speak about the May 18th incident? The Democratic Party is taking away the freedom of speech of even lawmakers who represent the people, through a one-party dictatorship.