Kim Byunggi Accepts Expulsion in the Morning, Resigns in the Afternoon... Was the General Assembly a Burden?

Without Voluntary Resignation, a General Assembly Vote Is Required

Kim Byunggi, a member of the Democratic Party who has faced various allegations including those related to nomination funds, announced on the morning of January 19 that he would accept the expulsion decision by the party’s Ethics Tribunal, and in the afternoon submitted his resignation from the party. Kim, who had previously insisted that he would not voluntarily leave the party, appears to have changed his stance due to the significant political and legal burden of having to explain the details of the investigation to fellow lawmakers at a general assembly convened for the expulsion process.

According to the Democratic Party, Kim submitted his resignation to the party’s Secretary General at 1:35 p.m. that day. The central party then forwarded Kim’s resignation to the Seoul Metropolitan Party, which is the official receiving body. Earlier that morning, Kim had held a press conference at the National Assembly communication office, where he stated, “Although I have not yet received the written decision from the Ethics Tribunal, I will leave without filing for a retrial,” thus expressing his intention to accept the expulsion. At the time, he also said, “I have always maintained that even if I am expelled, I would not choose to leave the party on my own. That position remains unchanged,” and requested, “If I am expelled without applying for a retrial, please consider concluding the matter with a decision by the party leadership.”

Former Democratic Party Floor Leader Byunggi Kim is apologizing while expressing his feelings about the disciplinary decision including expulsion by the Ethics Committee at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 19th. Former Floor Leader Kim stated, "I will leave without filing an appeal against the disciplinary action." January 19, 2026 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

However, later that same afternoon, Kim abruptly submitted his resignation from the party. Within the party, there were criticisms that Kim was causing procedural confusion by accepting the Ethics Tribunal’s expulsion decision while simultaneously asking not to convene a general assembly. According to the Democratic Party’s constitution and regulations, if the subject is a sitting lawmaker, the expulsion decision by the Ethics Tribunal must be finalized by a report to the party leadership and a majority vote at a general assembly of all lawmakers. In particular, even if the party leader exercises emergency disciplinary authority after the Ethics Tribunal’s decision, a general assembly vote is still unavoidable.

The inevitability of a general assembly is believed to have placed political pressure on Kim. Park Soo-hyun, Chief Spokesperson, appeared on SBS’s “News Briefing with Pyun Sangwook” that afternoon and explained, “After former Floor Leader Kim’s press conference, the party leadership and the parliamentary leadership contacted him to understand his intentions. During that process, it was explained to him that unless he voluntarily left the party, the procedure would inevitably burden his fellow lawmakers at the general assembly, and a voluntary resignation was earnestly requested.” He added, “Kim is following the process of voluntary resignation at the party’s request. We confirmed his intentions directly.”

It also appears that Kim was mindful of potential disadvantages in future criminal proceedings. Since Kim claimed at the press conference that he had secured all evidence to prove his innocence, if a general assembly were to be held, he would inevitably have to mention the details of the police investigation. During the press conference, Kim also stated, “I am currently under police investigation,” and added, “For that reason, I ask for your understanding that there will be no separate Q&A session after today’s press conference.”