“Privilege Abuse” by National Assembly Members: Conduct a Full Investigation and Hold Them Accountable!
More and more cases are emerging in which members of the National Assembly have privatized the power entrusted to them by the people and abused it as a tool for personal gain. Recent allegations surrounding Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-kee, along with cases involving lawmakers Choi Min-hee and Kim Sun-gyo, clearly reveal how deeply the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea has sunk into a swamp of entitlement and privilege.
Floor leader Kim Byung-kee faces typical “abuse of power” allegations, including accepting complimentary lodging vouchers, receiving preferential treatment at hospitals in his district, and mistreating his aides. What is even more shocking is that, during his explanation, Kim reportedly stated—without hesitation—that “other lawmakers received them as well.” This remark raises a deeply troubling question: have illegality, favoritism, and special privileges become an accepted custom within the National Assembly, rather than isolated personal misconduct?
Rather than reflecting on his wrongdoing, the ruling party’s floor leader has clung to feeble excuses, pushing the public beyond anger and into despair. In the cases of lawmakers Choi Min-hee and Kim Sun-gyo, police have been notified after reports that they held their children’s wedding ceremonies during the parliamentary audit period and received congratulatory money and floral arrangements from agencies under their oversight. As a result, public trust in the entire body of National Assembly members is collapsing. The power granted to lawmakers was not given so they could collect free lodging vouchers or secure special favors for their families.
The continuous eruption of abuse-of-power and privilege scandals among lawmakers shows that moral decay within the National Assembly has already reached an uncontrollable level. While they publicly claim to stand for ordinary citizens, behind the scenes, they appear to reign over supervised agencies and their own aides, enjoying absolute authority.
Therefore, we make the following demands:
- The National Assembly must conduct a comprehensive investigation into abuse-of-power practices among lawmakers.
If, as suggested by Kim Byung-kee’s remarks, similar misconduct is widespread among other lawmakers, this constitutes a grave issue that directly threatens public trust in the entire National Assembly. An objective investigative body, including independent external experts, must be established to uncover the whole truth. - Lawmakers found to have committed wrongdoing must face strict judicial accountability beyond internal party or parliamentary discipline.
Accepting special favors constitutes a violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and mistreatment of aides may amount to abuse of authority. Not only the National Assembly Ethics Committee, but also investigative authorities must impose appropriate penalties on those who violate the law. - Institutional safeguards must be established to fundamentally eliminate lawmakers’ privileges.
Penalties for pursuing private gain must be significantly strengthened, and the authority and function of the National Assembly Ethics Committee must be reinforced. Comprehensive reforms must be implemented to ensure that such outdated practices and abuses of power are never again repeated under the name of legislative activity.
December 29, 2025
Transparency International, Korea Chapter
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