Kim Haeyoung: "Keum Taeseop's Disciplinary Action Requires Constitutional Deliberation... A Crucial Issue for Democracy"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Won Dara] Kim Haeyoung, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the party's Ethics Tribunal's disciplinary action against former lawmaker Keum Taeseop, stating, "I urge you to engage in deep deliberation from a constitutional perspective."

On the morning of June 3, during the Democratic Party's Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, Supreme Council Member Kim said, "According to the National Assembly Act, lawmakers are not bound by their party's position and vote according to their conscience. This realizes the constitutional provision, which is the highest norm in Korea's legal system, that National Assembly members perform their duties according to their conscience."

He continued, "This disciplinary action is a constitutional issue that demonstrates the extent to which lawmakers' conscience can be permitted in the context of party democracy," adding, "As a member of the party leadership, I have deliberated deeply, but I believe this is an extremely important issue and thus wish to express my view."

He further urged, "When the party's Ethics Tribunal makes its decision on former lawmaker Keum Taeseop's appeal, I ask that it engage in profound constitutional deliberation."

Previously, the party's Ethics Tribunal issued a warning to former lawmaker Keum last month. This action followed a petition for his expulsion by some Democratic Party members, after Keum voted against the party line on the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (the so-called Public Official Crime Investigation Office Act).

Keum has filed an appeal. In his appeal, Keum criticized, "If there is a party regulation that defines voting against the party line as grounds for disciplinary action against a lawmaker, that in itself declares the party to be undemocratic and unconstitutional." He further emphasized, "There has never been a case where a lawmaker was disciplined for voting differently from the party line," and added, "To my knowledge, the Central Party Ethics Tribunal has never disciplined lawmakers simply for not attending a party-line vote during the legislative process."