Korean Party Court-Driven Shakeup "First Trial Guilty Lawmakers Will Face Difficulties"

Kim Hyung-o, Chairman of the Liberty Korea Party's Nomination Management Committee, is attending the party's Nomination Management Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] As the Liberty Korea Party has pledged a 50% turnover of incumbents, it has been revealed that key senior lawmakers who were recently sentenced guilty have effectively been distanced from party nominations.

Yeom Dong-yeol, a two-term lawmaker from Gangwon Taebaek·Hoengseong·Yeongwol·Pyeongchang·Jeongseon and the head of the Liberty Korea Party’s Talent Recruitment Committee, was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial held on the 30th for charges of demanding irregular hiring at Kangwon Land. Earlier, on the 14th, Won Yoo-chul, a five-term lawmaker, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 25 million won for illegal political fund receipt and other charges.

On the 31st, a Liberty Korea Party general election planning team official said, "Those who have been found guilty in the first trial are not allowed to be nominated according to the party’s constitution and regulations, so it will be difficult for the two lawmakers," adding, "Although the Nomination Management Committee (NMC) will make the final decision, if the party constitution and regulations are not faithfully followed, the principle will be compromised, so there will be no change."

The Liberty Korea Party’s regulations stipulate as disqualification criteria for constituency lawmakers those who have been sentenced to probation or higher in lower courts at the time of nomination application. This includes serious crimes such as murder and robbery, bribery-related crimes, fraud and embezzlement, and election crimes.

Moreover, the Liberty Korea Party’s general election planning team set principles last December to raise the nomination threshold by excluding candidates involved in entrance exam or hiring corruption, drunk driving, sexual crimes, and other offenses. The Justice Party Gangwon Provincial Party issued a statement on the 30th demanding, "The equation of Liberty Korea Party Talent Recruitment Committee Chair = hiring corruption criminal has been established. We urge Yeom Dong-yeol to voluntarily relinquish his political life."

In Won’s case, he submitted an appeal on the 20th, and Yeom also expressed his intention to appeal, citing "economic revitalization of mining areas and employment issues for children of mining regions." They are expected to assert their innocence during the nomination screening process, but whether this will be accepted remains uncertain.

The Liberty Korea Party has set strengthened nomination criteria, defining disqualifications in four major areas (entrance exams, hiring, military service, nationality), as well as moral integrity, honesty, and public sentiment. Even if acquitted in court, candidates may be excluded from nomination based on these standards. For example, Kim Sung-tae, a Liberty Korea Party lawmaker, was indicted for illegally hiring his daughter at KT and was acquitted in the first trial on the 17th because bribery charges were not recognized, although the court acknowledged the existence of irregular hiring itself.

A Liberty Korea Party official said, "In cases like Kim Sung-tae, it is up to the Nomination Management Committee to decide," adding, "The disqualification criteria can vary depending on interpretation, and we must also consider situations where the ruling party frames issues to attack."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.