Democratic Party's Jeong Jin-sul, Seoul City Council Floor Leader, Expelled Over Private Life Controversy

Jeong Jin-sul, Seoul City Councilor of the Democratic Party of Korea, expelled from the Seoul City Party for damaging dignity...

Ahead of the final disciplinary review by the Democratic Party Central Ethics Tribunal, he submits resignation from the position of floor leader of the Democratic Party in the Seoul City Council

Jeong Jin-sul, a former aide to Democratic Party National Assembly member Jeong Cheong-rae and a re-elected Seoul City Councilor representing Mapo district, has reportedly been expelled from the Seoul City Party.

The Democratic Party Seoul City Party is said to have expelled Councilor Jeong on the 3rd for "damaging dignity."

On the 4th, former floor leader Jeong submitted his resignation from the floor leader position of the Democratic Party in the Seoul City Council citing "health reasons."

Accordingly, the Democratic Party-affiliated Seoul City Council held an emergency general meeting on the morning of the 5th and appointed Councilor Lee Byung-do (Eunpyeong), the senior deputy floor leader, as acting floor leader.

The incident first became public when Asia Economy published an exclusive article titled "[Exclusive] Jeong Jin-sul, floor leader of the Democratic Party in the Seoul City Council, resigns... Why?" at 10:37 a.m. on the 5th.

The publication reported that Jeong Jin-sul, floor leader of the Democratic Party in the Seoul City Council (48, Mapo), had submitted his resignation, drawing attention to the background.

According to officials from the Seoul City Council and Seoul City, Jeong, a former aide to National Assembly member Jeong Cheong-rae and a re-elected Seoul City Councilor, announced on the 3rd that he intended to resign from the floor leader position due to health reasons.

Speculation has been rife about the background of Jeong’s resignation just nine months after being elected in July last year.

At that time, rumors circulated that Councilor Jeong had been expelled by the Seoul City Party, but it was difficult to confirm. It seemed the Democratic Party imposed a gag order, anticipating a sexual misconduct scandal.

However, on the afternoon of the 7th, the expulsion news was confirmed by a media outlet.

A Democratic Party official from the Seoul City Council said in a phone call on the afternoon of the 7th, "I heard that the disciplinary procedure was ongoing at the time, so the details could not be disclosed, and even the person himself does not know the specifics."

Accordingly, it appears that after the Democratic Party Seoul City Party took expulsion action against Councilor Jeong, he filed an appeal which was escalated to the Central Party Ethics Tribunal.

Former floor leader Jeong graduated from Seoul National University with a degree and graduate studies in political science, served as an aide to Assemblyman Jeong Cheong-rae, and as a policy special advisor to party leader Choo Mi-ae, and has served as a Seoul City Councilor in the 10th and 11th terms.

A party official commented on Jeong’s resignation, saying, "There are many rumors circulating, among which sexual misconduct allegations are prominent, and there is concern that the Democratic Party might again be embroiled in a sexual misconduct controversy."

Jeong was elected in July last year by 36 Democratic Party-affiliated Seoul City Councilors and has been a sharp critic of Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s policies, including the construction of the Mapo Nanji-do incineration plant.

He is also known to have opposed the creation of the 'Red Road' near Hongdae entrance in Mapo-gu.

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