The main opposition Democratic Party urged the ruling People Power Party on Monday to refer Unification Minister Kwon Young-se to the parliamentary ethics committee following revelations that Kwon had engaged in virtual asset trading.

The demand came after 11 lawmakers, including Kwon, were found to have held virtual assets, after a cryptocurrency scandal involving Rep. Kim Nam-kuk led to the National Assembly checking the virtual asset holdings of all lawmakers.

In late May, the National Assembly passed a number of revision bills to include digital assets, such as cryptocurrency, in the annual asset disclosure of lawmakers and high-ranking public officials. Since then, lawmakers have been requested to voluntarily submit their virtual asset holdings since May 30, 2020, to the parliamentary ethics committee.

On Monday, the DP's chief spokesperson, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, urged the PPP to bring the unification minister to the ethics committee. He claimed Kwon traded virtual assets multiple times during working hours and that such tradings, if proven true, could breach a public servant's conflict of interest.

"We suggest the PPP file a complaint with the ethics committee against Kwon," the DP lawmaker told reporters. "There could be a conflict of interest, and there are reports he traded during working hours."

The minister, however, refuted such claims, saying there are no criminal elements involved in his past tradings and requested the DP stop treating his tradings as being the same as lawmaker Kim.

"Based on my trading records, I have never conducted trades while attending a plenary session or a standing committee meeting. I've also never conducted trading during working hours as a minister," he said in a call with Yonhap News Agency. (Yonhap)