"Thought It Was PPP Group Chat": Controversy Erupts Over Lawmaker's Derogatory Remarks About President Lee Jae-myung

Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Councilors and staff members are facing backlash after a provincial councilor from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) used crude expressions to disparage President Lee Jae-myung in an official group chat room that includes all council members.

Kim Yi-geun, a PPP councilor who also serves as the chair of the provincial council's ethics committee, posted a message in the all-member chat room on August 29 featuring derogatory terms directed at President Lee, along with the comment, "He is digging his own grave."

The message was sent in response to a news article shared earlier by another PPP lawmaker criticizing the relocation issue of the Jinhae Naval Academy.

As provocative language appeared in an official communication channel shared by both ruling and opposition parties, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) strongly protested.

DPK provincial councilors fiercely criticized the remarks, stating that "a basic level of courtesy must be maintained," and subsequently left the group chat en masse.

Councilor Kim explained, "I mistook it for the People Power Party lawmakers' group chat room."

Kim reportedly conveyed his apologies to Kim Kyoung-soo, the DPK floor leader, and expressed his intention to resign from his position as chair of the provincial council's ethics committee.

Out of the total 68 seats in the provincial council, the PPP currently holds 44 seats, the DPK 23 seats, and an independent holds 1 seat.

The incident is expected to prolong tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.