Pro-Myeong Faction Pressures 'Approval Faction'... Anti-Myeong Group Reacts with "Uncivilized" and "Harsh Language"

Jeong Cheong-rae "Pus Does Not Heal Flesh"
Jo Eung-cheon "Words Are Too Harsh"
Park Ji-won "Not Purging or Ousting, But Uniting"

Amid rising calls within the pro-Lee Jae-myung (친명) faction to expel lawmakers who voted in favor of the arrest motion against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, suspected non-Lee (비명) faction lawmakers have pushed back, calling the language used "harsh" and "uncivilized."

On the 5th, Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon from the non-Lee faction said on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal', "I think the pro-Lee faction is reacting because their hardline supporters are making a fuss and they are following along, but their words are too harsh. While it is possible to criticize the vote on the arrest motion, it is inappropriate to use such harsh language to reproach and condemn," he said.

On the 26th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the "Democratic Party Reflection and Innovation Continuous Forum" held at the National Assembly and presented on the topic "Reflection and Lessons from Five and a Half Years of Democratic Party Governance." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The pro-Lee leadership is pressuring the lawmakers suspected to be from the non-Lee faction who voted in favor. Senior Supreme Council member Jung Cheong-rae said on his social media, "Pus does not become flesh," and Supreme Council member Park Chan-dae also hinted at disciplinary action, calling the vote "an act of misconduct." Floor leader Hong Ik-pyo said the issue could be handled by the Ethics Committee.

However, lawmaker Cho countered, "I want to ask who caused the wound to create pus, who created an unpaid debt," adding, "The Constitution and National Assembly Act state that lawmakers, as representatives of the people, must vote according to their conscience and not be bound by their party's will. Do party rules and regulations have precedence over the Constitution or laws?"

Another main target for expulsion, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-min, said on KBS2TV's 'The Live' on the 3rd, "Since the demands of hardline supporters are pouring in, maybe they are just doing fan service. Terms like pus and purge are very harsh expressions," adding, "If I were to speak harshly, those are uncivilized expressions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As moves to expel non-Lee faction members become clearer, voices warning against division within the party have also emerged. Park Ji-won, a senior figure in the Democratic Party and former head of the National Intelligence Service, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that morning, "For a united and strong Democratic Party that fights against the Yoon Seok-youl administration's unilateral rule, we need to unite rather than purge or expel," adding, "In 4 to 5 months, there will be a nomination process."

Even without purges or expulsions, he predicted that party members would give strict evaluations to lawmakers suspected of voting in favor during the nomination process. He said, "Democratic Party nominations are 50% by party members and 50% by the public. Let's leave it to the party members and the public," adding, "Even without purges or expulsions, such issues will be evaluated by party members and the public through nominations."

Since openly purging those who voted in favor would be a significant burden for the Democratic Party leadership, a cautious approach is likely. On the previous day, Democratic Party Supreme Council member Seo Young-kyo said on YTN Radio's 'Shin Yul's News Face-off', "Voting in favor and causing party turmoil is an act of misconduct, but we do not engage in purges. I would like to say that there are currently no plans to purge or discipline those who voted in favor within the party."

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