Jang Dong-hyuk: "Hong Jun-pyo's 10-Month Party Membership Suspension Is a Discipline Fully Acceptable"

Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo, who sparked controversy after playing golf during flood damage situations, received a severe disciplinary action of a 10-month suspension of party membership the day before. Jang Dong-hyuk, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, evaluated it as "a punishment that can be sufficiently accepted."

On the 27th, spokesperson Jang said on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' program, "Mayor Hong can also accept it sufficiently. It is a disciplinary level that humbly respects the ethics committee's decision."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Previously, Mayor Hong faced public criticism for playing golf during flood damage situations and responded by saying, "Is there any regulation in the public service community that says you can play tennis on weekends but not golf?" which further worsened public opinion. Although he later apologized and participated in flood damage recovery volunteer work, the People Power Party Ethics Committee imposed a severe disciplinary action of a 10-month suspension of party membership the day before.

Spokesperson Jang explained, "(The severe punishment) was generally difficult to predict, but many expected a suspension of party membership for 6 months, considering the apology and volunteer work at the flood site, or about a year. The ethics committee decided on about a year but took into account the apology and flood recovery volunteer work and set it to 10 months."

Mayor Hong commented on the ethics committee's decision through his social media (SNS), saying, "I hope there will be no more debates on this issue. I do not want further conflicts to escalate and be reproduced. I still have a long time of three years."

There is also analysis that this disciplinary action will have a considerable impact on him as a presidential candidate. Spokesperson Jang said, "Since he received a suspension of party membership, it cannot be said that there is no impact at all, but ending with a suspension means it is not a situation where he must leave the party or be expelled. His status as a presidential candidate and related aspects still remain."

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