Ha Tae-kyung: "If the Ethics Committee humiliates Lee Jun-seok for the act, the party will only weaken"

by Lee Hyeonjoo

Published 23 Jun.2022 08:59(KST)

"Inducing Conflict Among Party Supporters Over Likes and Dislikes of Representative Lee"

Ha Tae-kyung, head of the People Power Party's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Civil Servant Shooting Incident Fact-Finding Task Force, visited the Korea Coast Guard in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the 22nd and questioned Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon. Ha visited the Korea Coast Guard to conduct an on-site inspection to uncover the truth behind the West Sea civil servant incident, in which a civil servant was shot by North Korean soldiers in 2020. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 23rd, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, criticized the Central Ethics Committee's review held the previous day, saying it was "self-harming politics" and "politics of humiliation."

On the same day, Ha appeared on CBS Kim Hyun-jung's News Show and said, "We have no choice but to draw conclusions based on the (police) investigation results, and the ethics committee meeting is meaningless."

Ha pointed out that the Ethics Committee is holding meetings targeting Representative Lee Jun-seok despite being unable to secure evidence to reach a conclusion. He said, "The current characteristic of our party is a generational coalition party: 2030 and 6070. These two groups have somewhat different natures," adding, "Representative Lee is mainly supported by the 2030 generation, while the existing loyal supporters of our party have grown increasingly unfavorable toward him."

He continued, "Because his leadership style is different from the past, adaptation is difficult, and there seems to be some fatigue. As a result, within the support base, there is a sentiment that the new style should be accepted, and after all, didn't he win? The result is what matters," adding, "What have the stable leaders of the past done well? In fact, they all lost."

He further stated, "This style causes conflicts, and if Representative Lee Jun-seok is humiliated and the support base clashes, only our party will weaken," and criticized, "Looking at this, the party's Ethics Committee should cut off the person involved, but without a clear conclusion, they keep stalling, humiliating, inducing conflicts among supporters, and ultimately self-harming the party."

Regarding the confrontation between the party leader and the Ethics Committee chairman the previous day, he said, "We cannot help but see the Ethics Committee as engaging in the relevant behavior," adding, "From the public's perspective, it looks disgraceful and makes one wonder what on earth they are doing."