[Lee Jun-seok Disciplinary Action] Kim Yong-tae: "Ethics Committee Staging a Coup Against Party Leadership Elected by Members and the Public"

"Rebels Must Be Suppressed"
Party Leadership Shaken by Yoon Ethics Committee's Political Intervention

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th and is talking with Kim Yong-tae, a Supreme Council member, before the meeting begins. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Kim Yong-tae, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said on the 8th regarding the six-month suspension of party membership imposed on Representative Lee Jun-seok, "The Ethics Committee has staged a coup against the party leadership elected by party members and the public."

In an interview with MBC Radio on the same day, Supreme Council member Kim said about the six-month suspension, "I did not expect this at all."

He pointed out, "I believe rebels must be suppressed," adding, "The reason for the six-month suspension of party membership is a violation of maintaining dignity, but the basis was a single statement from the Ethics Committee that they could not trust the party leader's explanation." He continued, "It doesn't make sense to believe the suspicions raised on internet broadcasts but not trust the party leader's words," and said, "If a mild penalty like a warning had been issued, although the grounds for the punishment would still be hard to accept, I would have advised the leader to accept it for the sake of the party." He added, "Instead, with ambiguous standards, a six-month suspension of party membership was imposed, and I believe the Ethics Committee made some political intervention."

Supreme Council member Kim pointed out that while the Ethics Committee has not concluded the disciplinary procedures for lawmakers Kim Seong-tae and Yeom Dong-yeol, which began at the end of last year despite the Supreme Court rulings already being made, they imposed punishment on Representative Lee based solely on suspicions. He emphasized, "This clearly proves the political intervention of the Ethics Committee."

Kim also focused on part of the report by JTBC the previous day regarding "intervention from higher-ups." He said, "I don't know exactly how far up the chain this goes, but there are rumors about the 'Yun Core Group'." He added, "If this is true, I am really angry. The party leadership has put everything on the line and fought for regime change, for the local elections, and for the party, but the fact that someone in the party had such thoughts is very shocking."