< Anchor>
The next meeting of the National Assembly Ethics Committee on Rep. Kim Nam-guk, who has been involved in a
controversy over cryptocurrency investments, is expected to be held at the end of this month at the earliest. You also have to go through the advisory committee stage before the special committee, so it can take quite a bit of time to reach a conclusion.

Reporter Soh Hwan-wook reports.

<Reporter> The National Assembly Ethics Committee, which will discuss the disciplinary proposal for Rep.
Kim Nam-guk,
has tentatively set the date for its next meeting on the 30th.

The People's Power submitted a disciplinary proposal for Rep. Kim on the 8th, and if you add the 20 days of deliberation, the earliest date is the 28th, but the meeting was decided to be held on the 30th due to the overlap of the holiday.

When a disciplinary proposal is proposed, it goes to the Ethics Review Advisory Committee, which does not necessarily have to follow the advisory committee's decision, which can take up to 60 days.

[Lawyer Cho Sang-kyu and former member of the Special Advisory Committee on Ethics (recommended by the People's Power): No matter what decision is made by the National Assembly Ethics Review Advisory Committee, if it does not bring it to the plenary session and just sits on the floor, there is no compulsion in this.]

Of the 21 disciplinary proposals submitted to the 38st National Assembly, only four have been reviewed by the Advisory Committee.

Among them, former lawmakers Lee Sang-jik, Yoon Mi-hyang, and Park Deok-hum were recommended for expulsion, but only Lee lost his seat due to a court ruling, and the cases of Yoon and Park are still pending before the Ethics Commission.

Even if the advisory committee recommends, it can immediately decide on the level of disciplinary action and not submit it to the plenary session.

A member of the Special Committee on Ethics said, "The advisory committee may come to a conclusion based on public opinion, and then the conclusion may be overturned in the outcome of the investigation or trial," adding, "As this is a matter concerning the status and identity of a member of the National Assembly, we have no choice but to judge carefully."

Regarding the question of whether Rep. Kim's proposal to suspend the taxation of virtual assets two years ago constituted a conflict of interest, the ACRC stated, "We are limited in our response because we do not know the specific facts."

(Video reporter: Cho Chun-dong, Lee Chan-so, Video editing: Choi Hye-young)