Crisis for 'Taeyoungho'... Party Ethics Committee Expected to Impose Severe Sanctions on 8th

Cancellation of the Supreme Council Meeting on the 4th
Leadership Seems to Feel Burdened by Continuous Controversies

Taeyoungho, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, is facing the greatest crisis in his political career due to various controversies. Following his remarks on the Jeju 4·3 Incident, a recording related to candidate nominations, and allegations of splitting political donations have surfaced, leading to expectations that the party's Ethics Committee will impose severe disciplinary action. If severely disciplined, it will be difficult for him to retain his Supreme Council position or receive a nomination for next year's general election.

On the 4th, the People Power Party decided not to hold the Supreme Council meeting. Although there were external events attended by party leader Kim Ki-hyun and floor leader Yoon Jae-ok, it is widely analyzed that the meeting, usually held every Thursday, was canceled because members like Taeyoungho, who are embroiled in controversies, felt burdened to attend.

Tae Young-ho, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 3rd regarding the recording scandal and allegations of splitting sponsorship funds. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Earlier, Leader Kim instructed the party's Ethics Committee to review not only Taeyoungho's remarks on the Jeju 4·3 Incident but also the recording related to candidate nominations. This action followed the release of an audio recording by a media outlet on the 1st, in which Taeyoungho was heard saying that Lee Jin-bok, the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Presidential Office, requested him to make remarks defending Korea-Japan relations while discussing candidate nominations, sparking controversy. Consequently, the Ethics Committee convened an emergency meeting and began disciplinary procedures regarding the recording issue. The committee announced that on the 8th, it will merge the existing agenda concerning the Jeju remarks with the recording issue for review and proceed with the explanation process.

Moreover, Taeyoungho is also embroiled in allegations that he received political donations from local councilors in his constituency in exchange for nominations in the local elections. It is alleged that around the last local elections, he received donations from city and district councilors elected in his constituency, Gangnam Gap, Seoul, and that these donations were made under the names of the councilors themselves, their families, and acquaintances.

Taeyoungho strongly denied the allegations. At a press conference the previous day, he stated, "Donations from city and district councilors do not constitute splitting, and the councilors voluntarily donated to the media," adding, "To avoid misunderstandings about nomination bribes, I even returned donations made by preliminary candidates before last year's local elections." Regarding the recording, Taeyoungho explained, "Someone leaked it with malicious intent," and "I never had any conversations with Senior Secretary Lee Jin-bok about nominations."

Regardless of the legal responsibilities depending on the facts, it seems difficult for Taeyoungho to avoid direct political responsibility. Both the recording and the splitting of donations were leaked from within his office. Ahn Cheol-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on KBS Radio, "He must be held firmly accountable," and added, "Next year's general election is not optimistic at all. To overcome this, the party must show a comprehensive reform even now." Ha Tae-kyung, another party lawmaker, pointed out in a CBS interview, "(Regarding the leak, Taeyoungho says) it is someone else's responsibility, not mine. He perceives this as an attempt to kill him, but this does not align with the public's common sense," and added, "(If it is Taeyoungho's) staff, he has command and control responsibility."

A People Power Party official said, "Since the Ethics Committee's decision is independent, nothing can be guaranteed, but within the party, there is widespread opinion that severe disciplinary action will be taken," conveying the atmosphere.

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