Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the Democratic Party of Korea is seen leaving the National Assembly plenary session hall on the 27th after the vote on a motion for the arrest of Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party. Yonhap News

Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the Democratic Party of Korea has been sued on charges of sexual assault.

MBN exclusively reported on the 27th that a lawsuit filed by a woman claiming to have been sexually assaulted by Rep. Jang has been accepted by the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station. 

The lawsuit states that the woman was subjected to 'sexual assault' by Rep. Jang while in an 'incapacitated' state where she could not properly perceive or respond to the situation, despite the objections and attempts to stop him by those around her. 

On the same day, TV Chosun also reported, "We covered this incident about a year ago, but the victim was reluctant to confront a member of the National Assembly and did not wish for the report, so we did not write the article at the time. However, recently, the victim decided to file a lawsuit against Rep. Jang, and we decided to report on it."

According to related reports, the incident occurred in October last year at a dinner gathering for parliamentary staff in Yeouido.

The video showed Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the Democratic Party, who joined late, sitting next to a female secretary who could not hold her head up properly. The accuser and those around her stated that the sexual assault occurred at this time. 

At that moment, a man appearing in the video protested to Rep. Jang, saying, "What are you doing? What are you doing with someone else's girlfriend?"

In the video, believed to have been filmed by the victim's boyfriend, Rep. Jang Kyung-tae was seen with his nape of the neck grabbed and unable to resist.

In the released video, a man is seen grabbing Rep. Jang by the nape of his neck, saying, "What are you doing? What are you doing with someone else's girlfriend?" (Screenshot from TV Chosun report)

The secretary who suffered the assault filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station on the 25th against Rep. Jang on charges of aggravated sexual assault, claiming, "The reason for deciding to file the lawsuit after a year has passed is because I am exposed to the risk of organized and systematic retaliation."

Immediately after the report was broadcast, Rep. Jang posted on his Facebook feed, "Regarding the completely false and malicious accusations, we will respond strongly, including legal action."

On the 28th, Rep. Jang Kyung-tae wrote again on Facebook, "Please refrain from speculative reporting that has not ascertained the facts. The video filmed without consent is a clear and false accusation."

In relation to this, Rep. Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, ordered an investigation by the ethics oversight committee, and female lawmakers of the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on the 28th, stating, "If we list only the major sexual offense cases involving elected officials and related individuals within the Democratic Party, there are about 30 cases," and demanded "responsible expulsion."

In the KBC radio program 'Park Young-hwan's Current Affairs No. 1' broadcast on the 28th, political commentator Ha Heon-ki voiced his opinion, saying, "When such sexual offense cases occur in any party, the perpetrators or those accused of perpetrating them generally deny the allegations at first, but later the truth is revealed, a pattern that has occurred many times."

Song Young-hoon, former spokesperson for the People Power Party, said, "My public advice to Rep. Jang Kyung-tae is to face the situation with the truth as it is. Otherwise, when the truth eventually comes out, it will come back as a bigger boomerang. Rep. Jang Kyung-tae proposed a bill to increase penalties for assaulting a member of the National Assembly, but it is said that he proposed this bill because he was grabbed by the nape of his neck by the victim's boyfriend. He has no room to argue against the public's critical gaze."

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon raised questions, stating, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, there was the MeToo movement, and recently there was a sexual assault case in the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. Now, another member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party is involved in a sexual assault case. Why is this so frequent in progressive parties?"

Editor-in-Chief, Hanmi Ilbo