[Anchor]

The Ulsan City Council has taken stern disciplinary action against a city council member for the first time, suspending him from attending sessions for 15 days over a drunk driving incident. However, because the suspension ends before the upcoming administrative audit and is milder than the recommendation from an external advisory committee, critics are raising questions about its practical effectiveness.

Jeon Byung-joo from UBC reports.

[Reporter]

The Ulsan City Council has issued a 15-day suspension from council proceedings to independent Councilman Kim Dae-young, who was caught driving under the influence.

While falling short of the maximum disciplinary penalty of a 30-day suspension, this marks the first time in the council's history that such a high-level disciplinary measure has been taken at the council level.

The Special Committee on Ethics stated, "We took into consideration factors such as Councilman Kim leaving the People Power Party immediately after his drunk driving incident became known and stepping down from all official duties."

[Lee Young-hae / Chairperson, Ulsan City Council: We feel deeply sorry for causing concern to the citizens, and as chairperson representing the council, I offer my sincere apology.]

However, criticisms are also emerging that this disciplinary action amounts to an ineffective punishment.

This is because the suspension period overlaps with a recess, and the disciplinary action will conclude before the administrative audit begins on October 2nd.

Although the Ethics Review Advisory Committee, composed of external figures, reportedly recommended the maximum penalty of a 30-day suspension, the Special Committee on Ethics lowered the disciplinary level.

Suspicions have also been raised as to whether the council rushed to conclude the disciplinary action before the administrative audit, given that 6 out of the 9 members of the Ethics Committee belong to the People Power Party.

[Lee Hyang-hee / Secretary General, Ulsan Citizens' Solidarity: A 15-day period means Councilman Kim will still be able to perform his role as a council member in this year's administrative audit. It is difficult to avoid criticism that this is little more than a formality of having supposedly disciplined him.]

While the council's first high-intensity disciplinary action is a welcome development, it appears difficult to avoid reprimands that the punishment was a tailor-made penalty designed around the council's schedule.

Jeon Byung-joo, UBC