PPP ethics committee opens disciplinary proceedings against Seo Beom-su, Jin Jong-oh over 'roundhouse kick' remarks

The People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee on Friday opened disciplinary proceedings against lawmakers Seo Beom-su and Jin Jong-oh over remarks they made at a National Assembly forum, drawing widespread criticism.

The committee convened at the party's Yeouido headquarters Friday morning and reached the decision. According to political sources, Seo made the remarks at a forum on Aug. 4 hosted by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, before the victim in the "Busan roundhouse kick" case — identified by the pseudonym Kim Jin-ju — had arrived. Seo told Jin, who was seated across from him, "Why don't you throw a roundhouse kick?" Jin responded by suggesting he was more skilled with his hands than his feet, drawing public backlash.

Following the incident, People Power Party non-constituency chapter heads filed a disciplinary complaint against both lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the Central Ethics Committee also decided at Friday's meeting to send written questionnaires to lawmakers Cho Kyung-tae, Kwon Young-jin and Jin Jong-oh — against whom disciplinary proceedings were opened on July 27 — to gather facts in their cases.