SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The Constitutional Court on Wednesday granted an injunction partially suspending a decision led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) to exclude an opposition lawmaker from a parliamentary audit, allowing her to attend a session scheduled for later this week.
However, the court barred Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) from speaking on matters directly related to herself during the audit of the broadcasting and communications watchdog set for Thursday.
The injunction came after the DP and several minor parties passed a proposal last week to exclude Lee from the parliamentary audit conducted by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, citing potential conflicts of interest. They argued that her past decisions and official duties as head of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) overlapped with the subjects of the audit.
Lee, who previously headed the KCC under ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and the PPP challenged the decision, filing for an injunction and initiating a jurisdictional dispute with the Constitutional Court on behalf of PPP lawmakers.
The injunction will remain in effect until the Constitutional Court issues a final ruling in the jurisdictional dispute over the National Assembly's authority.
It marks the first time the Constitutional Court has suspended the effect of a National Assembly resolution restricting a lawmaker's participation in a parliamentary audit.
Following the injunction, Lee welcomed the court's decision as "natural" and said she would attend the audit.
Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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