Four Gwangju City Council Members of Democratic Party Disciplined for "Illegal Party Membership Recruitment"... One Receives Severe Penalty

Myung Jin Receives One-Month Suspension of Party Membership, Files for Retrial
Three Others Receive Lighter Disciplinary Actions with Suspension from Party Positions

Four Gwangju City Council members who were referred to the Ethics Tribunal of the Gwangju Metropolitan Party of the Democratic Party of Korea over allegations of "illegal party membership recruitment" have been notified of disciplinary actions. Among them, one member received a severe disciplinary measure that restricts their candidacy in the upcoming local election primaries, causing significant repercussions.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Party of the Democratic Party of Korea held the 9th Nationwide Local Election Candidate Recommendation Briefing Session on the 12th at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Provided by the Democratic Party Gwangju Metropolitan Party

According to local political sources on January 16, the Ethics Tribunal of the Gwangju Metropolitan Party of the Democratic Party of Korea decided to impose severe disciplinary action on one of the four Gwangju City Council members referred for illegal party membership recruitment, while the remaining three received lighter disciplinary measures. The decisions have been communicated to the individuals involved.

Myung Jin, a city council member considered a potential candidate for the Seo-gu District Chief in the June 3 local elections, received a severe disciplinary action of "one-month suspension of party membership." The other three Gwangju City Council members received lighter disciplinary measures, with suspensions from party positions ranging from one to twelve months.

The party reportedly concluded that violations of party regulations were identified during the membership recruitment process. In the case of Council Member Myung Jin, it was determined that the situation met the criteria for severe disciplinary action set by the central party, leading to the decision to suspend his party membership.

Immediately after the disciplinary decision, Council Member Myung Jin stated, "There was absolutely no intention or willful misconduct to engage in illegal activities during the membership recruitment process," adding, "It is not accurate to judge what occurred during routine local political activities as illegal party membership recruitment." He continued, "There was no organized recruitment or offering of incentives; some circumstances involving acquaintances helping out were excessively interpreted," expressing his frustration. He also explained that he filed for a retrial because "his explanation was not sufficiently reflected during the investigation process."

According to the party constitution and regulations, anyone who has received a severe disciplinary action within the past three years is deemed ineligible for elected office, which restricts their ability to run as a Democratic Party candidate in local elections. However, since this does not fall under the category of "absolute disqualification without exception," it is still possible to be reviewed as a candidate for public office in the future, but a penalty will be applied during the primary process.

With Council Member Myung Jin's retrial request submitted, the Democratic Party plans to proceed with the related procedures in accordance with party ethics regulations. Depending on the outcome of the retrial, the severity of the disciplinary action may be upheld or adjusted.

Regarding this, a local political figure commented, "Depending on the severity of the disciplinary action, it will be difficult to avoid a penalty during the primary process," adding, "Given that this issue concerns the recent controversy over illegal party membership recruitment, it could pose a significant burden even in the rights party member primary, which is intended to realize party member sovereignty."