The Rebuilding Korea Party filed criminal complaints against People Power Party lawmaker Seo Myung-ok on Wednesday, alleging she struck a fellow legislator with a picket sign during a National Assembly plenary session.
The party said it filed the complaints with the National Investigation Headquarters, accusing Seo of "obstructing proceedings through physical force and assaulting a fellow lawmaker" in the main chamber.
On Nov. 27, Seo and other People Power Party lawmakers partially occupied the plenary hall to obstruct a vote to end filibustering on three judicial reform bills. The party claims Seo struck Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Lee Hae-min with a hand-held picket sign when Lee attempted to record the situation on a mobile phone.
"Lawmaker Seo's actions constitute 'obstruction of National Assembly proceedings,' which involves using violence to disrupt parliamentary sessions," the party said. "This is a serious crime that constitutes 'aggravated assault,' particularly given that she used a picket sign to inflict bodily harm."
The party dismissed Seo's claim of portrait rights violation following the incident, noting that the plenary hall is a public space subject to real-time live broadcasts under Article 75 of the National Assembly Act.
"The activities of National Assembly members must be transparently disclosed to protect the public's right to know. Lawmaker Seo's claims are merely excuses," the party said.
The Rebuilding Korea Party characterized the filing as an effort to uphold the spirit of the National Assembly Advancement Act, introduced in 2012 to eliminate violence within the legislature.
"We strongly urge investigative authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and hold Lawmaker Seo strictly accountable under the law," the party said.