 She left her position in protest of government pressure to bring judgements against pro-democracy activists, and joined the opposition National Congress for New Politics.She entered the National Assembly in the 1996 elections as a member of the National Congress.She crossed regional barriers by being elected as a liberal despite originally hailing from the conservative stronghold of Daegu, and also became the first female member of the National Assembly to have served as a judge—followed by Na Kyung-won in 2004.