People Power Party's 'Gwak Sang-do Internal Conflict' Intensifies... Lee Jun-seok and Jo Soo-jin 'Clash'

So Joo-jin "Already left the party, is expulsion possible?"
Lee Jun-seok "Check the facts and then shoot"

Assemblyman Gwak Sang-do (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] The People Power Party has been thrown into internal turmoil over whether to expel lawmaker Gwak Sang-do, who left the party amid controversy surrounding his son's 5 billion won retirement bonus from Hwacheon Daeyu. The party leadership is shaken as Representative Lee Jun-seok, who proposed the expulsion, and Supreme Council member Cho Su-jin, who opposes it, have clashed intensely.

On the 1st, Lee expressed on Facebook, "I feel infinite self-disgust seeing the party leader's words 'We do not protect Sangdo' immediately contradicted and then 'media play' directed at reporters." This is interpreted as criticism aimed at Supreme Council member Cho. The conflict between Lee and Cho was triggered during an emergency Supreme Council meeting held late the previous night. Lee convened the meeting to discuss current issues such as 'Daejang-dong,' but as it became known that the expulsion of lawmaker Gwak was on the agenda, Cho criticized, "Is it appropriate to push for the expulsion of a lawmaker who has already left the party?" and sent messages to some reporters. Cho, who refused to attend the emergency Supreme Council meeting, also likened Lee to the 'Chun Doo-hwan military regime,' emphasizing the importance of procedure.

In response, Lee countered, "The expulsion of lawmaker Gwak is not a matter for the Supreme Council because he is no longer a member of the People Power Party, so it cannot be an agenda item," and added, "Check the facts properly and shoot from behind." He also reacted strongly, saying, "With the presidential election approaching, even if we are a half-step faster than usual, it is unnecessary to conduct party affairs while being called the Chun Doo-hwan military regime," and "Do as you please."

Supreme Council member Cho also retorted, "I understand that the only agenda item at the emergency Supreme Council meeting pushed by Lee yesterday was 'the expulsion of lawmaker Gwak,'" adding, "This was not about defending him but about prioritizing the fight against the regime and ruling party trying to cover up the 'Daejang-dong corruption planner' and the 'Daejang-dong corruption ringleader.'"

Within the People Power Party, opinions are divided over the expulsion of lawmaker Gwak. One side argues that strong measures should be taken to demonstrate moral superiority over the Democratic Party of Korea, while the other insists that until Gwak's illegality is clearly revealed, the focus should be on attacking Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, the 'ringleader' of the 'Daejang-dong preferential treatment suspicion.'

Presidential candidates are backing Representative Lee. Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong each posted on Facebook that day, saying, "Does Supreme Council member Cho not hear the public's anger over the 5 billion won?" and "Cho, who used to strongly attack Democratic Party lawmakers mentioning the Cho Kuk Protection Squad, shouting for protecting Sangdo now only appears to the public as Cho Su-jin's double standards."

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