"The Party Atmosphere Already 'Expelled'... Withdrawal from Candidacy Cannot Avert Discipline"
"Must See the Sincerity of the Withdrawal Declaration" Claims Also
Forty-five minutes before the disciplinary level decision at the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee subcommittee, independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk announced that he would not run in next year's general election. In response, the Ethics Special Committee subcommittee postponed the vote on the disciplinary proposal against Kim to the 30th, drawing attention to how Kim's announcement of not running would affect the disciplinary decision.
In political circles, Kim's surprise announcement of not running is analyzed as an attempt to avoid the heaviest punishment of expulsion from the Assembly. In his announcement on Facebook on the 22nd, Kim emphasized, "My earnest wish is to fulfill my responsibilities until the end of my term for the citizens of Ansan."
Former Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Kyung-min believes that Kim's announcement of not running will not affect the disciplinary level. Within the Democratic Party, there is already a mood that Kim should be expelled. On the afternoon of the 22nd, on 'YTN News Night,' Shin said, "The current mood within the Democratic Party's floor is expulsion. This is because the floor is aware of certain facts. While those facts may not be everything, if the floor makes a decision based on those facts, it is very difficult to consider any option other than expulsion. If it were resignation from the Assembly, that would be different, but it is hard to think that not running can smooth over the issue."
Former Democratic Party Supreme Council member Park Sung-min also said, "I understand that it is not easy to decide on expulsion for a colleague and former party member," but added, "This is not an issue to drag out." On SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' that day, Park criticized, "Even within the People Power Party, the disciplinary actions against their own or former members like Hwang Bo-seung-hee who left the party have not been swift. Looking at these cases, one cannot help but think that leniency is at work within the floor."
He further criticized that the golden time for announcing not running has already passed. Park pointed out, "The right time to announce not running was before. When the controversy broke out, especially when the issue of trading within the standing committee was revealed, that was the time to announce not running and simultaneously resign from the Assembly. There was definitely a golden time for that."
However, some hold the view that expulsion is an excessive punishment for Kim. Since Kim Nam-guk's announcement of not running is seen as self-punishment, it is argued that the Ethics Special Committee subcommittee should consider the sincerity of this when making their decision.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-jin said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "(the disciplinary action against Kim) could have the character of a witch hunt," adding, "I think it would be better to objectively judge, verify, and then punish accordingly."
Kim Young-jin continued, "For a lawmaker, announcing not running is equivalent to a five-year restriction on eligibility to run for office under the nomination law. Since they cannot run in elections, political activities are impossible for five years. I see it as Kim himself acknowledging the moral and ethical problems in his actions and imposing an appropriate punishment on himself. Therefore, I think the vote was postponed to allow the Ethics Special Committee subcommittee to discuss and verify the sincerity of this."
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