Jung Sung-ho "Lee Jae-myung did not express any opinion regarding the rejection"
Kim Jong-min "If it's not the plenary session but a subcommittee,
party stance... Lee Jae-myung made the decision"
During a National Assembly standing committee meeting, a motion to expel Representative Kim Nam-guk, who left the Democratic Party of Korea after trading a large amount of virtual assets, was rejected due to opposition from the Democratic Party, sparking a strong backlash. Since Representative Kim is known as a close aide to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, the rejection of the expulsion motion is leading to calls for Lee's accountability, signaling a potential intensification of internal strife.
On the 31st, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Seong-ho said in an interview with CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ regarding the expulsion motion against Representative Kim being rejected by the Ethics Special Committee’s first subcommittee the day before, "No matter how many mitigating circumstances there are, the party leader cannot express his opinion on this matter," adding, "That is how I understand it (that Lee did not express his opinion)."
Jeong, known as the leader of the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, denied that Lee gave instructions related to the rejection of Kim’s expulsion motion, likely due to concerns about backlash within the party. Earlier, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jong-min said on CBS Radio’s ‘Park Jae-hong’s One-on-One Show’ the previous day, "Unlike the plenary session where all lawmakers participate, the rejection of Kim’s expulsion motion in the subcommittee and Ethics Special Committee represents our party’s position," and added, "It was directed and decided by Leader Lee."
He said, "(The expulsion motion) is likely to be rejected again in the plenary session," and added, "It is reckless for our party to simply shield Kim Nam-guk under the party’s name. I believe this is not the path the Democratic Party should take."
On the 17th, Member of Parliament Kim Nam-guk is moving by elevator at the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee. The Ethics Special Committee is reviewing the disciplinary proposal for Kim Nam-guk, who left the Democratic Party amid controversy over holding a large amount of virtual assets. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The non-Lee faction is concerned that public opinion will worsen as the expulsion motion against Representative Kim, who had already drawn national outrage amid criticism of the party being a shield party due to the rejection of the arrest consent motion, was also rejected. In the Ethics Special Committee’s first subcommittee the day before, the vote on Kim’s expulsion motion ended in a tie, resulting in the motion’s failure to pass as it did not exceed the majority. Although the vote was anonymous, political circles speculate that three Democratic Party lawmakers voted against the motion.
The pro-Lee faction has expressed sympathy, arguing that they had already tried to take responsibility by declaring non-candidacy regarding the expulsion motion against Representative Kim, and stated that since no violation of criminal law was confirmed, the punishment was excessive. They also pointed out that Kim’s constituents would lose their representative. Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Min-seok also appeared on YTN Radio’s ‘News King with Park Ji-hoon’ that day, saying, "Declaring non-candidacy means ‘retirement from politics,’" and added, "I think the public will accept this." He further stated, "Why isn’t Representative Kwon Young-se investigated for trading coins?" and "He traded coins while serving as a minister. I believe lawmakers have invested in coins much more extensively."
However, regarding coin trading, People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se, against whom a disciplinary motion was submitted for breach of dignity, rebutted, "Except for the fact that I traded coins, everything else is completely different." On SBS Radio’s Kim Tae-hyun’s News Show, Kwon said, "The Ethics Advisory Committee, recommended by the opposition party, advised expulsion for Representative Kim, but no action was taken against me as there was no problem," adding, "Trying to lump us together on the same level is a political gesture."
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