People Power Party on a Collision Course... "Recommendation to Leave" for Go Seongguk, "By the Rules" for Bae Hyunjin

Ethics Committee Reduced to a Tool for Purging Rivals...
Failure to Exercise Political Leadership

The power struggle between the pro-leadership and anti-leadership factions within the People Power Party is heading toward a head-on collision like two trains running toward each other. This is because, despite a request from junior lawmakers in the party to "halt all discussions on disciplinary action," the pro-leadership and pro-Han Donghoon factions are each pushing ahead with disciplinary procedures against Assemblywoman Bae Hyunjin and hardline conservative YouTuber Ko Sungguk.

According to political sources on February 11, the Ethics Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party (Chairman Kim Kyungjin, head of the party chapter for Dongdaemun-gu, District B in Seoul) held its fifth meeting the previous night and decided to impose the disciplinary measure of "recommendation to leave the party" on Ko. Ko, a former current-affairs commentator, runs the YouTube channel "Ko Sungguk TV," which has 1.34 million subscribers, and is regarded as a figure with considerable influence among hardline conservative forces.

Earlier, on January 30, immediately after the motion to expel former party leader Han Donghoon was passed, 10 pro-Han lawmakers submitted a disciplinary request against Ko, an ordinary party member, to the Seoul chapter Ethics Committee. They argued that Ko had violated Article 4 (Maintenance of Dignity) of the party’s Code of Ethics, among others, by repeatedly making remarks on his broadcasts that the party headquarters should hang photos of former presidents Chun Doohwan and Yoon Suk Yeol. Before initiating the disciplinary process, the Seoul chapter appointed Kim Kyungjin, who is classified as pro-Han, as chairman of the Ethics Committee. The Seoul chapter chair is also pro-Han Assemblywoman Bae.

The recommendation to leave the party issued by the Seoul chapter Ethics Committee is a severe disciplinary measure under which a member is automatically expelled if a withdrawal report is not submitted within ten days. Previously, former Supreme Council member Kim Jonghyeok, who is also pro-Han, received the same disciplinary measure from the Central Ethics Committee and was expelled. The Seoul chapter Ethics Committee stated, "Acts such as glorifying former presidents who were convicted of insurrection and defending the violent incident of storming a courthouse are intolerable for a member of a responsible political party," adding, "Allowing Ko to remain in the party would undermine party discipline and could become a serious obstacle to restoring public trust."

On this day, Ko responded to the decision of the Seoul chapter Ethics Committee through his YouTube broadcast, calling it "an illegal decision unilaterally pushed through by an unqualified Seoul chapter Ethics Committee chairman (Chairman Kim Kyungjin), who ignored an ordinary member’s right to explain himself," and declared, "As soon as I receive notification of the (recommendation to leave the party) disposition, I will immediately file an appeal."

Since Ko has said he will immediately file an appeal, the disciplinary case is expected to enter a second round at the party’s central level. Hinting at this, Ko also said, "I will present my case before the Central Ethics Committee." Under the People Power Party’s regulations, deliberation and decision on appeals against disciplinary resolutions of city and provincial chapter Ethics Committees fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Ethics Committee. In addition, the party rules stipulate that, if there are special reasons, the party leader may cancel or suspend a disciplinary measure after obtaining approval from the Supreme Council.

Conversely, the pro-leadership faction is pushing ahead with disciplinary action against Assemblywoman Bae. Previously, Lee Sangkyu, head of the party chapter for Seongbuk-gu, District B in Seoul, filed a complaint with the Central Ethics Committee against Bae, arguing that she distorted the situation by making it appear as if a statement opposing the disciplinary action against former party leader Han Donghoon, which was led by the Seoul chapter chair, represented the will of the entire Seoul chapter. The pro-Han faction is protesting this, defining it as "retaliation for submitting the disciplinary request against Ko" and "an attempt to seize control of the Seoul chapter."

Party leader Jang Donghyuk appeared on the Munhwa Ilbo YouTube channel the previous day and said, "Internal party matters require principles and standards," adding, "In the case of (disciplinary action against Assemblywoman Bae), it is an issue for the Ethics Committee to decide in accordance with the party constitution and rules. Matters that should be handled by the Ethics Committee being handled by the Ethics Committee is what establishes party discipline." A Supreme Council member classified as part of the pro-leadership camp also said in a phone call that day, "Ko merely expressed his own opinion, but Assemblywoman Bae used nomination authority as a weapon to pressure prospective candidates for the local elections," adding, "It can also be seen as her privatizing the authority of the Seoul chapter chair."

Within the party, there is significant concern that the Ethics Committee is functioning as a tool for eliminating political rivals. The worry is that, instead of the party leadership and key figures exercising political leadership to reach compromises, they are escalating conflicts by using the party constitution and rules to purge their opponents. Just last month, former party leader Han was expelled after being referred from the Central Ethics Committee to the Supreme Council over allegations of manipulating public opinion on the party members’ online bulletin board, and former Supreme Council member Kim was also expelled after being recommended to leave the party. The Central Ethics Committee sparked controversy when it stated in its written decision on Kim’s disciplinary action that "the party leader is an institution representing a political party formed by the sum of the free will of individual party members."

Assemblyman Lee Sungkwon, a member of the intra-party junior lawmakers’ group "Alternative and Future," met with reporters after a meeting the previous day and said, "Far from practicing additive politics, the continuation of subtractive politics and the prevalence of politics of conflict and exclusion within the party will not help us win the local elections," urging "restraint and withdrawal by those involved, and political efforts by the leadership." A party official said, "Those who are hardline and fandom-based are now leading internal party opinion, making it difficult even for senior and veteran figures to step in as mediators," adding, "When it comes to internal party politics, people are on the verge of becoming politically apathetic."