President Yoon Seok-yeol's Injunction Application Against Then Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae During Prosecutor General Tenure
Kim Woong: "Disciplinary Action for Preservation Lawsuit"
Ha Tae-kyung: "Ethics Committee Disciplinary Action Is Political Retaliation"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Within the People Power Party, some voices criticized the Central Party Ethics Committee's disciplinary action against former leader Lee Jun-seok.
Ethics Committee Chairperson Lee Yang-hee added a one-year suspension of party membership rights to former leader Lee's disciplinary measures, stating that the core reason was "filing an injunction against the party's decision to approve the party constitution amendment and establish a new emergency committee as the party's official stance." She mentioned Lee's opposition to convening the National Committee. This outcome was quite different from the ongoing disciplinary review for allegedly criticizing President Yoon Seok-youl and the party with expressions such as 'Yangdu Guyuk' and 'New Military Regime.' Recently, the Ethics Committee's summons to former leader Lee cited "using insulting and critical expressions without objective grounds against party members, affiliated lawmakers, and party organizations, damaging unity and dignity, and engaging in harmful acts against the party" as major reasons for discipline.
On the 7th, regarding the Ethics Committee's disciplinary action, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Woong posted on his Facebook, calling Lee Yang-hee "the one who defeated Chu Mi-ae."
Kim stated, "The core disciplinary reason was 'filing an injunction to block the party's official decision to transition to an emergency committee,' and punishing Lee for filing a preservation injunction is something even Chu Mi-ae (former Minister of Justice) did not do." He added, "When former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl was suspended from duty on unreasonable grounds by former Minister Chu, Yoon filed an injunction."
He continued, "At that time, the Democratic Party criticized it but did not retaliate with disciplinary action for filing an injunction," and pointed out, "Lee Yang-hee (Ethics Committee Chair) retaliated with disciplinary action simply because an injunction was filed despite the first injunction being granted." He explained, "The injunction filed by former Prosecutor General Yoon was granted, but the main lawsuit, i.e., the request to cancel the suspension, was dismissed. According to Lee Yang-hee's logic, since the main lawsuit was lost, former Prosecutor General Yoon should have been disciplined as well."
Kim said, "It is truly shameful that not only are they becoming like the Democratic Party, but even worse," and added, "I look forward to seeing many loyal party members who previously filed injunctions in protest of losing nominations also receive one-year suspensions of party membership rights."
Lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung stated, "The Ethics Committee's disciplinary action is political retaliation," and said, "I cannot agree that filing an injunction lawsuit in court is grounds for discipline."
Ha pointed out, "Filing an injunction lawsuit is a basic right granted to anyone in the nation, not just to former leader Lee," and noted, "President Yoon Seok-youl also responded with an injunction lawsuit against unfair disciplinary actions during his time as Prosecutor General."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
