# Expulsion resolution passed for Lee Jin-sook over May 18

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/controversy-over-lee-jin-sook-and-gwangju-movement
> Updated: 2026-09-06T07:48:05.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 3.

South Korean lawmaker Lee Jin-sook of the People Power Party remains under intense scrutiny following a forum regarding the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. The controversy was triggered when a presenter at the event referred to the movement as a ‘civil unrest incident’ (소요 사태).

Opposition members from the Democratic Party of Korea have accused Lee of hosting an event that distorts history and insults the victims of the Gwangju uprising. They have demanded her resignation from both her legislative seat and her position on the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee. While the National Assembly Steering Committee passed a resolution calling for Lee’s expulsion, internal pressure has mounted within her own party; approximately 3,700 People Power Party members submitted a petition to the ethics committee demanding disciplinary action.

Lee has contested the allegations, describing the push for disciplinary action as ‘political tyranny.’ The controversy has escalated into a legal dispute after Lee filed an insult complaint against Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok. Lee recently underwent investigation at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station regarding Kim’s description of her as a ‘female Hitler.’ Lee has indicated plans to file additional charges regarding comments that compared her to former leader Chun Doo-hwan.

While the Steering Committee resolution urges expulsion, actual removal from office requires a separate disciplinary process through the National Assembly Ethics Committee and a two-thirds majority vote in a plenary session. Because the Ethics Committee is currently not operating as a standing committee, the implementation of formal sanctions remains complicated and uncertain.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-06: Lee Jin-sook files lawsuit over ‘female Hitler’ remarks

People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook filed a lawsuit against Democratic Party's Kim Min-seok over ‘female Hitler’ remarks, prompting calls for her resignation from opposition leaders.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lee-jin-sook-files-lawsuit-over-female-hitler-remarks

### 2026-08-22: Lee Jin-sook faces expulsion resolution over 5·18 comments

South Korea's National Assembly Steering Committee passed a resolution calling for the expulsion of lawmaker Lee Jin-sook over controversial remarks regarding the 5·18 Democratization Movement.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/na-kyung-won-criticizes-disciplinary-action-against-lee-jin-sook

### 2026-08-18: Lee Jin-sook faces calls for resignation over Gwangju movement controversy

Lawmaker Lee Jin-sook faces calls for resignation and expulsion from the National Assembly following a controversial forum regarding the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lee-jin-sook-faces-calls-for-resignation-over-gwangju-movement-controversy

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Cite as: Expulsion resolution passed for Lee Jin-sook over May 18. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/controversy-over-lee-jin-sook-and-gwangju-movement