Why the Democratic Party Is Pushing to Form the Ethics Committee on the 29th

A Turning Point for Ethics Oversight

The Democratic Party announced plans to convene the National Assembly Steering Committee on October 29 to table and vote on the formation of the Ethics Special Committee
Journalists captured Deputy Floor Leader Moon Jin-seok outlining that this move will enable the Ethics Special Committee to review proposed expulsion and discipline cases before they reach a plenary vote
Major outlets including Newsis, KBS, News1 and others highlighted that without this committee, petitions such as the Ijuunseok expulsion petition with nearly 600,000 signatures cannot advance to formal review

Key Cases on the Docket

Once formed, the Ethics Special Committee will examine several high-profile cases including the expulsion resolution against 45 opposition MPs who blocked the former president’s arrest warrant execution proposal and the disciplinary motion for former minister Kang Sun-woo
Another hot topic is the parliamentary petition demanding the expulsion of Ijuunseok over his controversial debate remarks—this petition garnered unprecedented public support and has been forwarded to the relevant standing committee
The committee will also assess whether the Ethics Advisory Subcommittee has been constituted to vet procedural details before handing major cases to the full Ethics Special Committee

Online Buzz and Community Voices

On Naver blogs, users debated whether the Ethics Special Committee will be a partisan battleground or a genuine forum for accountability
Some bloggers praised the move as overdue and necessary to restore trust in legislators, while others warned that rapid formation risks rubber-stamping decisions without adequate scrutiny
Discussion threads on Tistory and Naver highlighted frustration over past delays, with one blogger noting that the advisory subcommittee’s lack of binding power undermines public confidence

Cultural Insights and What Comes Next

Ethical oversight of lawmakers resonates deeply in a society that values public trust and transparency—many foreign observers find Korea’s petition system uniquely empowering, yet wonder how effectively it balances swift action with due process
As the committee gears up, questions linger: will it transcend party lines to hold all MPs accountable, or mirror past gridlock?
Stay tuned as this committee’s first hearings will set the tone for legislative ethics and could redefine the National Assembly’s approach to discipline and transparency