Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok has ordered an ethics inquiry into Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee following controversy over her recent remarks about President Lee Jae-myung and her description of journalists covering the party. The party said Kim viewed the series of disputes seriously and instructed its ethics inspection unit to establish the facts and review whether Choi had violated party rules or ethical standards.
The inquiry follows the disclosure of comments Choi made during a private meeting with party members in her constituency last month. She was reported to have said that Lee had also opposed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The presidential office rejected that account as groundless and expressed strong regret, creating a direct factual dispute between Choi's reported statement and the administration's position.
A disputed account of the impeachment timeline
Choi subsequently acknowledged that she had made an error. She said Lee had advocated Yoon's impeachment after the insurrection and had helped bring it about, adding that she became confused about the timing while answering questions from supporters. Her response accepted a problem with the statement but framed it as a mistake over chronology rather than a deliberate effort to misrepresent Lee's position.
The party has not adopted either interpretation as its formal conclusion. Its notice said the ethics inspection unit would objectively examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the issues raised, then assess the conduct under the party constitution, internal regulations and ethical code. That distinction leaves the alleged violations unresolved while the inquiry is underway.
- Inquiry ordered by
- Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok
- Official under review
- Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee
- Reviewing body
- The party's ethics inspection unit
- Current status
- Fact-finding ordered with no violation yet determined
A separate dispute concerns Choi's treatment of the press. She referred to photographers and video journalists covering a Democratic Party lawmakers' meeting as a pack of hyenas, according to the reports. Choi later apologized and said the expression had been inappropriate. Kim's order covers a series of remarks rather than only the contested account of Lee's position on impeachment.
The two episodes present different questions for investigators. The impeachment remark requires them to clarify what Choi said, the period she intended to describe and how her account compares with the established sequence of Lee's public position. The comment about journalists is not disputed in the same way because Choi has already apologized for the wording, but the party must still decide whether it breached its ethical standards.
Findings and possible discipline remain open
No finding or disciplinary measure was announced with the inquiry. The available reports do not specify a timetable, the witnesses who may be contacted or the range of sanctions that could follow. They also do not establish that Choi violated any rule. Kim's instruction begins an internal fact-finding and standards review rather than confirming wrongdoing.
Attention will now turn to whether the ethics inspection unit separates the two controversies in its findings and whether it identifies a specific party provision connected to either one. Any recommendation, response from Choi or decision by the party leadership would clarify whether the matter ends with her corrections and apology or advances into a formal disciplinary process.