Ahn Cheol-soo Moves to Expel Lee Jun-seok... Political Circle's Evaluation Is 'Well'

Yoon Hee-sook "Just Gossip"
Kim Yong-tae "Justification for New Party Formation"

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party and standing advisor to the election countermeasures committee for the Seoul Gangseo-gu district mayor by-election, stated his intention to file a complaint with the party's ethics committee against former leader Lee Jun-seok, accusing him of distorting his remarks and spreading 'fake news.' Former leader Lee responded by saying, "You wrote a long post and then collapsed." However, within political circles, there are criticisms that it is inappropriate for key party figures to engage in such disputes immediately after the party's defeat in the Gangseo-gu by-election.

On the 13th, Ahn said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "members who produce fake news that does not exist and internally attack the party are considered offenders, and I will file a complaint with the party's ethics committee," expressing his intention to take action against former leader Lee.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ahn first revealed this intention the day before through social media. He explained that at the Gangseo-gu by-election support site, he was insulted by someone presumed to be a supporter of the Democratic Party with the phrase "XX and collapsed," to which he responded with a laugh, "XX and collapsed, right?" However, former leader Lee emphasized only the latter part of this exchange in broadcasts and distorted it as if Ahn had made a rude remark toward the Democratic Party. Ahn defined this as an 'offending act' and announced his intention to file a complaint.

In response, former leader Lee shared Ahn's post on social media and retorted, "You wrote a long post about nonsense and then collapsed, right?"

Within the party, voices are emerging that it is inappropriate for the two to engage in disputes while the People Power Party suffered a crushing defeat in the by-election. Former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Both of you need to restrain yourselves," adding, "Are you not both adults? One was even a former leader, and the other is also a senior member of our party. Now is not the time for such talk, and I think the media should not entertain such things either."

The dispute between the two over the phrase 'collapsed' is considered 'gossip.' Former lawmaker Yoon said, "Should the party get dragged into this 'collapsed' dispute now, no matter how gossipy it is?" and added, "This 'collapsed' dispute should not continue any longer."

Within the pro-Lee Jun-seok faction, there is also analysis that if former leader Lee is disciplined due to Ahn's complaint, it could provide justification for forming a new party. Former People Power Party Supreme Council member Kim Yong-tae said on CBS radio, "Former leader Lee might even think 'thank you' if disciplined. There is no need to give him a reason (to form a new party)," adding, "Because the moment he is disciplined, he will be unable to run in next year's general election under this party, so is it really necessary to treat a former leader like that?"