'Nomination Grim Reaper' Appears... Growing Presence of Ruling Party's Ethics Committee

Taeyoungho 3-Month and Kim Jaewon 1-Year Party Membership Suspension
"Both Tae and Kim Likely to Face Difficulty Receiving Nomination" Forecast
Scenarios for Reconsideration Request and Injunction Application Also Considered

The People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee has emerged as the 'eye of the storm' in next year's parliamentary general election nominations. Following former leader Lee Jun-seok's resignation from his position due to a severe disciplinary action by the Ethics Committee, and the suspension of party membership rights for Supreme Council members Kim Jae-won and Tae Young-ho, the nomination process for next year's parliamentary general election has become uncertain. The party's Ethics Committee, established to strengthen internal ethics and maintain party discipline, has become a blade that has controlled the 'political life' of the party leadership for two consecutive years.

Kim Jae-won, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, is deep in thought at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

'One-year suspension of party membership rights' Kim Jae-won, will he request a retrial?

According to the People Power Party on the 12th, the party's Ethics Committee on the 10th imposed disciplinary actions suspending party membership rights for one year and three months on Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won and Assemblyman Tae Young-ho, respectively. Supreme Council member Kim's disciplinary action stemmed from a series of controversies, including attending a worship service led by the far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, opposing the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the preamble of the Constitution, delivering a lecture titled "Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon's Unification of the Right-wing Camp," and referring to the Jeju April 3 Incident as a "low-level memorial day." Assemblyman Tae also sparked controversy with remarks that the Jeju April 3 Incident was triggered under the orders of North Korea's Kim Il-sung and likening the Democratic Party of Korea to the religious group JMS on social media.

In particular, with Supreme Council member Kim's one-year suspension of party membership rights, it has become difficult for him to receive party nomination for the April parliamentary general election next year. Immediately after the Ethics Committee's decision, Kim wrote on his Facebook, "I am only filled with regret toward the party members and citizens who supported me," adding, "I will continue to seek ways to contribute to our party and country."

However, since Kim Jae-won first won a seat in the 17th general election representing his hometown constituencies of Gunwi-gun, Uiseong-gun, and Cheongsong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, and has been preparing to run in next year's election, there remains a possibility that he will appeal the disciplinary action to the Ethics Committee. He may also pursue legal measures such as filing for a suspension of the disciplinary action. Previously, former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok filed for a suspension of his six-month party membership suspension imposed last year over allegations of instructing the destruction of evidence related to sexual bribery. Similarly, Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Kang-wook immediately requested a retrial after receiving a six-month suspension for sexually harassing remarks from the party's Ethics Tribunal in June last year.

However, some predict that Supreme Council member Kim will accept the Ethics Committee's disciplinary action. On the 11th, People Power Party senior spokesperson Yoo Sang-beom said on CBS Radio, "I have known Kim Jae-won for 40 years," adding, "Anyone who knows him even a little would agree that he would not take actions such as filing for a suspension or leaving the party." In fact, in the 18th general election, Kim was denied the party nomination by Kim Dong-ho, a pro-Lee Myung-bak faction lawyer who was the party mainstream at the time, but he accepted the decision and maintained his party membership. He also accepted defeat in the 20th general election primaries and served the party loyally thereafter.

'Nomination Grim Reaper' Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee began to show its weight starting last year. Although it has punished party politicians involved in various ethical and moral issues, it rose as a grim reaper controlling the political life of the party leadership by imposing consecutive severe suspensions on former leader Lee Jun-seok last year.

In July last year, the Ethics Committee suspended Lee's party membership rights for six months over allegations of instructing the destruction of evidence related to sexual bribery, and three months later, imposed an additional one-year suspension for criticizing President Yoon Seok-youl and the party using expressions such as "sheep's head and dog meat" and "new military regime." Lee's total suspension amounts to one year and six months, and even if his party membership is restored on January 9 next year, it is expected to be difficult for him to run as a party candidate.

The People Power Party's regulations stipulate that "nominations should be completed at least 45 days before the election day," and nominations are made targeting responsible party members. According to the regulations, responsible party members must have paid party dues for at least three months within a year. To complete nominations by March 1 next year, which is 45 days before the April 10 general election, Lee may find it difficult to meet the responsible party member criteria. Similarly, Supreme Council member Kim, who lost his party membership rights for one year starting from the 10th, has effectively lost his chance for nomination.

Criticism has also arisen that the Ethics Committee has effectively become a political tool, serving as a 'leadership purge' over the past two years. During the disciplinary process against former leader Lee Jun-seok, text messages exchanged between Ethics Committee members and the Emergency Response Committee chairman were leaked to the media, leading to accusations of 'commanded disciplinary action.'

In this case as well, Assemblyman Tae, who voluntarily resigned just before the Ethics Committee's disciplinary decision, received a relatively light three-month suspension of party membership rights, causing internal backlash. Senior party member Assemblyman Yoon Sang-hyun wrote on Facebook on the 11th, "I am disappointed with the Ethics Committee's decision. Choosing voluntary resignation allows one to apply for nomination, but otherwise, nomination application becomes impossible," adding, "While holding them accountable, I hoped the Ethics Committee would leave a way out for a Supreme Council member, who was elected by 100% party member vote, to run in the general election." He criticized the Ethics Committee's decision weighing resignation against nomination.

There is also a view that the party's Ethics Committee is inherently a political body. Senior spokesperson Yoo said, "Although the Ethics Committee acts as the party's judiciary, as you know, when a party member's words or actions damage public trust and thereby harm the party's prestige, it is the Ethics Committee's role to hold them politically accountable." Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy explained, "The Ethics Committee is not a judicial body but a party organization, so it cannot avoid political considerations. For example, although there are no legal issues with Supreme Council members Kim and Tae, the decision to discipline them reflects the party's consideration of the moderate voters' perspective. It operates on a political level." Director Jang Sung-chul of the Public Opinion Center also said, "It is hard to say the Ethics Committee is neutral and apolitical. It is a group that makes thoroughly political judgments. If the Ethics Committee were politically neutral, Chairman Hwang Jeong-geun would not have made 'political solution' remarks."

By-election for Supreme Council member on the 9th of next month

Due to Supreme Council member Tae's voluntary resignation, the People Power Party will elect one Supreme Council member again on the 9th of next month. The party plans to proceed with the by-election procedures at the Supreme Council meeting on the 15th. The party's constitution and regulations stipulate that when an elected Supreme Council member's seat becomes vacant, a new member must be elected by the National Committee within 30 days from the date the vacancy occurs. At the time of the '100% party member vote rule' vote in December last year, the People Power Party's National Committee had 790 members.

To this end, an election management committee will be formed to decide on the voting method, election campaign period and methods, election day, and other overall matters. So far, the election management committee has been chaired by the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, with the first and second deputy secretaries-general included as ex officio members.

The party leadership plans to organize the election smoothly by narrowing down the candidates to one in advance instead of holding a primary, effectively endorsing a single candidate. Accordingly, within the party, Assemblymen Lee Man-hee, Park Sung-joong, and Lee Yong, who ran for Supreme Council member in the March 8 party convention, are considered candidates. All are members of the pro-Yoon faction.

However, there is also speculation that 'consideration for Honam' (the southwestern region of Korea) may be applied, as the pro-Yoon leadership may have no way out if they make another mistake. A key party official said, "Since the election is held by the National Committee, which represents party members, not the entire party convention, the members share the party leader's intentions. Currently, there is no Honam representation among the Supreme Council members, and it is difficult for a Honam native to be elected as an elected member, so regional balance or consideration for the Honam base may come into play." Assemblyman Lee Yong-ho, the only Honam district member within the party, and Assemblyman Jung Woon-cheon, a proportional representative based in Jeonju, are mentioned as possible candidates.

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