Kim Jae-won and Tae Young-ho, Rocky Moves... Ruling Party Supreme Council Member Risks Still Present

Kim Jae-won "Never Considered Injunction"
Tae Young-ho Restrains Public Activities... "Accepts Party Decision"

Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party who was disciplined with a 'one-year suspension of party membership,' has expressed his intention not to file an injunction against the disciplinary action. This is interpreted as a response to concerns both inside and outside the party about 'disobedience to the discipline.' Although the vacant seat left by former Supreme Council member Tae Young-ho's resignation will soon be filled through a by-election, there are concerns that the aftermath of Tae's remarks on April 3 could also affect the general election.

On the 16th, Kim, through his social media service (SNS), stated, "Currently, I am taking time to compose myself and prepare in various ways, but I have never even considered filing a retrial request or an injunction lawsuit against the one-year suspension of my party membership."

Kim Jae-won, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, is attending the Ethics Committee held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

His resumption of SNS activity after six days and his disclosure regarding the possibility of an injunction lawsuit are due to the ongoing speculation about his potential 'disobedience to the discipline.' On the 10th, the party's Ethics Committee decided on a severe disciplinary action of a one-year suspension of party membership against Kim, citing "undignified remarks that distorted facts and hindered national unity." This is a stronger punishment than the three-month suspension given to former Supreme Council member Tae, influenced by Tae's refusal to resign voluntarily.

Receiving a severe one-year suspension of party membership less than a year before the general election effectively blocks Kim's possibility of running in next year's election. This led to widespread speculation that he might challenge the disciplinary action, but Kim himself has drawn a line against 'disobedience to the discipline.'

Nevertheless, at a talk show held on the 14th in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Kim said, "To honor the will of the party members who elected me first, I could not give up my position as a Supreme Council member even while enduring the one-year suspension of party membership. Going forward, as a Supreme Council member of our party, I will continue to present visions for the party's development and discuss strategies and directions necessary for winning the general election, anytime and anywhere."

This is interpreted as his intention to continue public activities as a Supreme Council member despite the one-year suspension of party membership, though there is also a possibility that his public activities could lead to further controversies.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In contrast, former Supreme Council member Tae, who resigned before the disciplinary action, stated that he would "humbly accept the decision of the party's Central Ethics Committee" and has not yet resumed SNS or public activities. However, Tae's remarks related to April 3 are expected to continue posing risks to the local political scene ahead of next year's general election.

Cheon Ha-ram, the People Power Party's Jeonnam Suncheon-gap district committee chairman, said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' program, "If the party grants a nomination to former Supreme Council member Tae just before the general election or even allows him to participate in the primary without being cut off, the public sentiment in Jeju will turn really cold. This will not only affect Jeju but will also have a negative impact overall on regions with many swing voters such as the metropolitan area, Chungcheong, and Honam."

The successor to former Supreme Council member Tae will be decided in an online by-election held on the 9th of next month. Currently, within the party, second-term lawmakers such as Lee Yong-ho, Park Sung-joong, Lee Man-hee, and Jung Jeom-sik are mentioned as candidates, with analyses suggesting a competition between the pro-Yoon (친윤) faction and the general pro-Yoon faction.

On the same day, Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' "There is talk about whether to choose the pro-Yoon side or the slightly less pro-Yoon side, and I think choosing the less pro-Yoon side aligns better with the spirit of Yeonpotang."

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