Asan City Council Rejects No-Confidence Motions Against Chairperson and Vice Chairperson

Chairperson: 6 in favor, 9 against, 1 abstention
Vice Chairperson: 8 in favor, 7 against, 1 abstention

The top is Hong Seongpyo, Independent Chairperson, and the bottom is Maeng Uiseok, Vice Chairperson of the People Power Party.

On May 14, the Asan City Council in South Chungcheong Province held its 258th extraordinary session and put forward separate no-confidence motions against Hong Seongpyo, the Independent Chairperson, and Maeng Uiseok, the Vice Chairperson from the People Power Party. Both motions were rejected.

The no-confidence motion against the Chairperson was initiated by the People Power Party, while the motion against the Vice Chairperson was led by the Democratic Party.

Chairperson Hong Seongpyo became the subject of controversy in January this year after giving a congratulatory speech at his alma mater's graduation ceremony while under the influence of alcohol. He left the party and was expelled while disciplinary action was pending.

Vice Chairperson Maeng Uiseok became the subject of a no-confidence motion for several reasons: criticism for undermining neutrality by participating in the motion to dismiss the Chairperson, authorizing official documents by proxy, and failing to fulfill his responsibility to maintain order in the council.

The no-confidence motion against the Chairperson was rejected, with 6 votes in favor, 9 against, and 1 abstention. The motion against the Vice Chairperson also failed to meet the majority requirement, with 8 votes in favor, 7 against, and 1 abstention.

The Asan City Council consists of 17 seats: 8 from the People Power Party, 7 from the Democratic Party, and 2 independents. Both independents were expelled from the Democratic Party.

The voting results suggest that at least one member of the People Power Party cast a dissenting vote.

Although there are 7 Democratic Party members, the no-confidence motion against the Vice Chairperson received 8 votes in favor, while the no-confidence motion against the Chairperson, led by the People Power Party, received only 6 votes in favor. This indicates internal disagreement within the party.

Prior to the vote, during the procedural remarks, Democratic Party member Cheon Cheolho argued, "It is against the principle of double jeopardy to pass a no-confidence motion on a matter for which disciplinary action has already been taken."

In response, People Power Party member Yoon Wonjun countered, "Disciplinary action and a no-confidence motion are legally different in nature, so a political judgment is possible."