Hwang Kyo-ahn: "Candidate Cha Myung-jin is no longer our party's candidate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Regarding Cha Myung-jin, the Bucheon-byeong candidate of the United Future Party, who received a 'recommendation to leave the party' instead of expulsion from the party ethics committee, Party Leader Hwang Kyo-ahn stated, "Politics is about healing the pain of the people and making them happy," and declared, "He is no longer our party's candidate."

Leader Hwang announced this around midnight on the 10th through a statement, saying, "Politics that angers and hurts the people must disappear from this land."

He said, "At the last Supreme Council meeting, a political decision was made to impose the highest level of disciplinary action on candidate Cha," and added, "The public also already considers his candidacy disqualified."

Leader Hwang emphasized, "The ethics committee has decided to recommend leaving the party, and from now on, candidate Cha Myung-jin is clearly no longer our party's candidate."

Candidate Cha previously caused controversy with remarks implying that the Sewol ferry victims' families engaged in improper behavior during a local general election candidate debate, leading to the ethics committee's recommendation that he leave the party. This disciplinary action is equivalent to expulsion, and if he does not leave the party, he will be expelled after 10 days.

Since his candidacy has not been immediately revoked, he can continue his campaign. In response, candidate Cha stated on his Facebook, "I appreciate the wise decision of the ethics committee," and added, "I am now able to complete the election as a United Future Party candidate."

However, Kim Jong-in, the United Future Party's overall election committee chairman, criticized this by saying, "The ethics committee's judgment is pathetic."

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