The ruling People Power Party referred an opposition lawmaker to the parliamentary ethics committee Friday after he accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of sexual abuse for giving a kiss on the cheek to a child during a state visit to the United States.

Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a party meeting on Wednesday, "Kissing a child on the lips or elsewhere without consent is considered sexual abuse in the US," referring to the kiss on the cheek Yoon gave to the child.

After landing at Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Monday for his state visit, Yoon received a welcome bouquet from a child and gave the child a kiss on the cheek in return.

On Friday, the ruling party's spokesperson Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok and a senior party official submitted a motion calling for disciplinary action against Jang to the National Assembly's special ethics committee for breaching the duty to maintain decency as a lawmaker.

About 20 lawmakers of the ruling party signed up to the motion. (Yonhap)