Ruling party union condemns lawmaker's 'violent act' against floor leader

The labor union representing the secretariat staff of South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) has issued a strong statement condemning a physical altercation that occurred within the party, expressing deep regret over the incident. The union specifically criticized the act of grabbing the party's floor leader by the collar, emphasizing that protests and violence are distinct.

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Protest and violence are different. We express deep regret for the violent acts that occurred within the party, such as grabbing the floor leader by the collar.

"Protest and violence are different," the union declared on the 24th. "We express deep regret for the violent acts that occurred within the party, such as grabbing the floor leader by the collar."

The incident reportedly involved some lawmakers protesting dissatisfaction with the allocation of seats on parliamentary standing committees. The union stressed that while intense disagreements and protests are possible within the PPP, resorting to physical force is unjustifiable under any circumstances. They argued that disagreements over committee assignments should have been resolved through dialogue and internal party procedures.

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Grabbing the floor leader by the collar simply because one's wishes were not accepted is not the behavior of a responsible lawmaker.

"Grabbing the floor leader by the collar simply because one's wishes were not accepted is not the behavior of a responsible lawmaker," the union stated. They further urged the second-term lawmaker involved in the "unimaginable behavior" to "deeply reflect on their wrongdoing and apologize ten times over to the public and party members." The union concluded by reiterating, "Protest is a right, but violence is wrong."

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Protest is a right, but violence is wrong.