Though Rep. Kang Yong-seok offered to resign as a lawmaker shortly after his draft-dodging allegations against Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s son were proved false, he may find it difficult to put things behind him.

Kang’s case also rekindled controversies over lawmakers’ immunity and information access.

Park Ju-sin, son of the Seoul mayor, disproved on Wednesday Kang’s month-long allegations of draft-dodging.

Doctors at Severance Hospital who took a fresh magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) film of his back confirmed that he had a herniated disc, as shown in the MRI film submitted to the Military Manpower Administration. Kang had alleged that the film filed to the administration might not be Ju-sin’s.

The junior Park joined the Air Force last August but was later sent to perform an alternative service at a public organization because of his back problems.

Kang attacked the mayor and his family several times in the past month but immediately offered to resign upon the announcement of the hospital results.

“I accept the hospital’s medical judgment and will resign as I pledged earlier,” said the lawmaker.

“I apologize for any slanderous comments I may have made during the process.”

Though some conservative figures, such as Cho Kab-je and Rep. Chun Yu-ok, stood in his defense, it seems inevitable that Kang will face public resentment from political parties.

Though Kang resigned, it will have little effect as the parliament is in recess with the speaker post vacant due to Rep. Park Hee-tae’s resignation over his vote-buying allegations.

“There are reasons to think that Rep. Kang’s allegations were mere political gimmicks, considering his immediate offer to resign,” said Park’s attorney in a radio interview Thursday.

“Kang actually attempted to politically assassinate Mayor Park for his own interests.”

The independent lawmaker whom the ruling party kicked for making sexist remarks has recently earned the nickname “accusation addict” for his series of allegations against high-profile figures.

Kang earlier filed a suit against professor Ahn Cheol-soo, accusing him of making profits by purchasing bonds with warrants at an illicitly cheap price.

He also claimed that Lee Jun-seok, a member of the ruling Saenuri Party’s emergency leadership committee, had violated the military service law.

His accusations, however, generated speculation that he may have intended to frame himself as a political whistle blower and make up for his fallen public credit.

The disgraced lawmaker was expelled from the former Grand National Party in 2010 amid allegations that he made sexually ridiculing remarks about female television newscasters.

Kang may also face a probe on how he got hold of Park Ju-sin’s medical records and whether he abused his authority as lawmaker to do so.

Should anyone turn out to have handed the documents to the lawmaker without Park’s consent, he or she may be charged with violating the medical privacy law or the military service law, according to officials.

The Seoul mayor said Thursday that he would forgive the lawmaker but nevertheless pledged to clarify how his son’s personal information was leaked.

The Saenuri Party leadership council, created to reform the ruling party, had earlier suggested that its lawmakers should voluntarily give up their right to immunity if they are found to be involved in irregularities.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)