Opposition Lawmaker Dragged Out of Ceremony by President’s Bodyguards

On the 18th, a commotion occurred when Kang Sung Hee, a minor progressive Jinbo Party member, was dragged out of the venue by the President’s security guards at the inauguration ceremony of the Jeonbuk Special Autonomous Province.

After entering the Korean Sound Culture Hall in Jeonju, the venue for the inauguration ceremony, President Yoon shook hands with the members of the National Assembly from the Jeonbuk region, including Kang, the representative of the Jeonju-eul constituency.

In the process, Kang advised President Yoon, “If you do not change the national policy, the people will be unhappy.” Then, it was reported that the presidential security guards suddenly blocked Kang’s words and intervened in his speech.

At the time, Kang protested loudly while being silenced and was driven out of the venue by the presidential security guards who held his arms and legs. During this process, officials from the progressive Jinbo Party protested to the security officials, accusing them of unreasonable security.

Son Sol, the spokesperson for the progressive Jinbo Party, claimed in a briefing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the same day, “They gagged Kang, lifted his limbs, and dragged him out of the venue. While forcibly dragging him out, they even took his glasses. He was unable to enter the venue due to the intervention of the security guards.”

Spokesperson Son condemned, “The recklessness of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has reached the point of using violence to drag out a member of the National Assembly, a constitutional institution of the Republic of Korea. This is a serious insult to the legislative branch and a contemptuous act of ignoring the people.”

“The progressive Jinbo Party will strongly condemn the violence committed by the Presidential Security Office against Representative Kang Sung Hee and hold them accountable,” they added. “The progressive Jinbo Party is taking this situation very seriously and will respond according to the situation as it becomes clear.”

Kang also held a press conference at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council on the same day, saying, “As a representative of the people, all I did was merely convey the message, ‘If you do not change the national policy, the people will be unhappy.’ As it was the inauguration ceremony of the Special Autonomous Province, which contains Jeonbuk’s hopes, I tried to convey a typical greeting rather than sharp criticism.”

He condemned, “Was that one sentence so hard to bear? The President should apologize sincerely for today’s incident, for dragging a member of the National Assembly out of the venue, and hold the head of security accountable.”

Kang said, “I’ll repeat it with all my strength. If you do not change the national policy, the people will be unhappy.”