Park Jumin: "Pro-approval faction clearly caused harm to the party"

"Isn't it just a difference in thinking?"
Jo Hae-jin: "The Democratic Party has become a Gaeddal party"

Amid growing calls within the Democratic Party of Korea to discipline opposition lawmakers who voted in favor of the arrest motion against leader Lee Jae-myung, Cho Eung-cheon, a Democratic Party lawmaker considered one of the 'five pro-approval members,' has pushed back, saying it is "an attempt to exclude those with different opinions." In response, pro-Lee (親明) lawmaker Park Joo-min expressed the view that "the approval clearly caused harm to the party" and that disciplinary action is necessary.

On the 5th, Park said on YTN's 'The News,' "The previous approval situation was not simply a matter of having different opinions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Cho, one of the 'five pro-approval members,' argued on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' that the disciplinary moves are "an attempt to exclude and expel those with different opinions from the party, which undermines healthy party democracy." However, Park contends that this is not merely a difference of opinion but a level of 'harm.'

Park stated, "This is not just a difference of opinion; even the leadership at the time said, 'This is a disqualifying act.' It caused harm to the party, so it cannot be simply evaluated as a difference of opinion."

Regarding the petition to identify the 'pro-approval members' surpassing 50,000 signatures, Park said, "Cases where petitions have already been submitted are with the Ethics Tribunal, so the procedures and processes should follow accordingly. As for others, the party leader will soon return, and we can discuss what to do then."

However, in response, People Power Party lawmaker Cho Hae-jin, who appeared on the radio together, assessed, "The Democratic Party has strayed too far from the democratic legitimacy it once held and has become the 'Gaeddal Party,' which is a regrettable reality for our politics."

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