Councilor says he 'only had coffee' at hotel with woman, faces disciplinary action

A Gwangmyeong city councilor is facing disciplinary proceedings after being seen at a hotel with a woman during a council session. The city council voted to send the disciplinary request to its Special Committee on Ethics and approved his resignation from the ethics committee. He denied wrongdoing, saying he had finished his council duties and only had coffee at the hotel.

The Gwangmyeong City Council opened its 302nd regular session on Friday and referred the disciplinary request against councilor A to its Special Committee on Ethics.

The council also approved A’s resignation from the ethics committee, where he had been serving.

Local media reported that A was seen leaving a hotel in Geumcheon District, Seoul, with a woman on Thursday afternoon while the council’s regular session was underway.

Under the Local Autonomy Act, disciplinary measures for local council members can range from a warning and public apology to suspension from council meetings and expulsion from the council.

Published Sep 12, 2026 10:54 am KST

Updated Sep 12, 2026 12:09 pm KST

The Gwangmyeong City Council building / Courtesy of Gwangmyeong City Council

A city councilor in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is facing formal disciplinary proceedings after he was seen visiting a hotel with a woman during a council session.

The Gwangmyeong City Council opened its 302nd regular session on Friday and voted to refer a disciplinary request against the councilor, identified only as A, to its Special Committee on Ethics for review. The council also approved A's resignation from the ethics committee, on which he had been serving.

The committee plans to focus on whether the councilor violated his duty as a public official to maintain proper conduct and dignity.

The controversy erupted after local media reported that A was seen leaving a hotel in Geumcheon District, Seoul, with a woman Thursday afternoon, while the council's regular session was underway.

A said he went to the hotel only after completing all of his council duties for the day and denied that anything inappropriate had happened.

"I went to the hotel after finishing all of the council's scheduled business," he said. "I only had coffee at the hotel and left. Nothing else happened."

As criticism mounted following the report, A withdrew from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday night.

Civic groups and opposition councilors have called for strong disciplinary action.

The Gwangmyeong chapter of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice said in a statement that even if A had completed his official schedule, he had acknowledged going to a hotel in broad daylight with an unidentified woman.

"It is questionable whether this can simply be dismissed as a private matter," the group said. "We deeply deplore this incident, which has embarrassed the city's residents."

The group called on the city council to investigate the circumstances through its ethics committee, impose stern disciplinary measures against A and issue an official apology over the controversy involving one of its members.

On the same day, four Gwangmyeong city councilors affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party also called for the strongest possible disciplinary action.

"Councilor A, who has disappointed residents, should immediately resign from his seat," they said.

Under the Local Autonomy Act, disciplinary measures against local council members can range from a warning and public apology to suspension from council meetings and, at the highest level, expulsion from the council.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

光明市一名市议员因在市议会会议期间被目击与一名女子在酒店出现而面临纪律处分。市议会投票决定将此纪律处分请求提交给道德特别委员会，并批准该议员辞去道德委员会职务。该议员否认有任何不当行为，称自己已完成市议会工作，只是在酒店喝了杯咖啡。

光明市议会于周五召开第302次例会，并将针对议员A的纪律处分请求提交给其道德特别委员会。

委员会还批准了 A 从道德委员会辞职的请求，他此前一直在该委员会任职。

据当地媒体报道，周四下午，在市议会例行会议进行期间，有人看到A与一名女子离开首尔衿川区的一家酒店。

根据《地方自治法》，对地方议员的纪律处分措施包括警告和公开道歉，以及暂停参加议会会议和被逐出议会。

发布于2026年9月12日上午10:54（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月12日下午12:09（韩国标准时间）

光明市议会大楼 / 图片由光明市议会提供

京畿道光明市一名市议员在市议会开会期间被发现与一名女子前往酒店，目前正面临正式的纪律处分程序。

光明市议会于周五召开第302次例会，投票决定将针对议员A的纪律处分请求提交给其道德委员会进行审查。议会还批准了A辞去其在道德委员会的职务。

委员会计划重点调查该议员是否违反了其作为公职人员维护良好行为和尊严的职责。

当地媒体报道称，周四下午，在市议会例行会议进行期间，有人看到 A 与一名女子离开首尔衿川区的一家酒店，随后引发了争议。

A表示，他是在完成当天所有议员工作后才去酒店的，并否认发生了任何不当行为。

“我完成议会所有既定议程后就去了酒店，”他说。“我只在酒店喝了杯咖啡就离开了。除此之外，什么也没发生。”

报道发布后，批评之声愈演愈烈，周四晚间，A宣布退出执政的韩国共同民主党。

公民团体和反对派议员呼吁采取严厉的纪律处分。

光明市市民争取经济正义联盟在一份声明中表示，即使A完成了他的官方行程，他也承认在大白天与一名身份不明的女子去了酒店。

该组织表示：“此事能否简单地被视为私人事务，值得商榷。我们对这起令市民蒙羞的事件深表遗憾。”

该团体呼吁市议会通过其道德委员会调查此事，对A采取严厉的纪律处分，并就其一名成员卷入的争议事件正式道歉。

同一天，隶属于主要反对党国民力量党的四名光明市议员也呼吁采取最严厉的纪律处分。

他们说：“让居民失望的A议员应该立即辞去他的职务。”

根据《地方自治法》，对地方议员的纪律处分措施包括警告和公开道歉，暂停参加议会会议，最高级别是开除出议会。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。