DP lawmaker accused of molesting female aid at restaurant

Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Jang Kyung-tae has been accused of molesting a female National Assembly aide, with video footage of the alleged incident released by local media.

Democratic Party Rep. Jang Kyung-tae sits beside the alleged victim at a restaurant in Yeouido in western Seoul in late 2024. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Jang Kyung-tae has been accused of molesting a female National Assembly aide, with video footage of the alleged incident released by local media.

TV Chosun on Thursday aired a video submitted by the alleged victim’s boyfriend. Filmed at a restaurant in Yeouido in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, in October 2024, the clip shows Rep. Jang sitting closely beside the aide — who appears heavily intoxicated and unable to sit upright — after arriving late to the gathering.

The victim and several aides who were present claim that Jang molested her during the meeting.

The video also shows the victim’s boyfriend confronting the lawmaker, grabbing him by the collar and shouting, “What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing with someone else’s girlfriend?”

The victim reportedly filed a complaint Tuesday with Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct, accusing Jang of molestation. Police said Thursday the case had been transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

In the complaint, the victim said she had been in a state where she was “unable to perceive or respond to the situation properly” and claimed that “Jang continued to molest her despite people around them trying to stop him.”

The alleged victim’s boyfriend grabs liberal Democratic Party Rep. Jang Kyung-tae by the collar in this screenshot image released by TV Chosun. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Regarding the delay in filing the complaint, she said she had been “exposed to the risk of organized and systematic retaliation,” according to reports.

Her attorney said the victim had “endured severe psychological distress before finally deciding to come forward,” adding that they had requested strong protective measures from police.

Jang wrote on Facebook on Thursday that the allegations were “entirely false” and that he would “respond firmly, including with legal action, against slander and false accusations.”

DP Chair Rep. Jung Chung-rae on Thursday asked the party’s ethics inspection team to conduct a fact-finding investigation into the allegations.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY SHIN HYE-YEON [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]