Jin Jong-o, a member of the People Power Party, urged Yoon Min-woo, the chair of the Central Ethics Committee, on August 3 to directly address allegations of leaking disciplinary materials and to restore procedural fairness.
In a post on his Facebook, Jin stated, "It is now time for the public to judge the true nature of the ethics chair." He criticized the initiation of his disciplinary process, noting that it began with a meeting attended by only three of the five committee members, including Yoon, and claimed that those present were aligned with Yoon's views.
Jin pointed out, "Can this be considered a fair review according to party rules?" He also highlighted that Yoon distributed a press release on July 30 stating, "We will dismiss anyone who violates confidentiality obligations," suggesting that the target was fellow committee members advocating for independence and transparency.
He further alleged that Yoon himself had shared the list of disciplinary subjects, decisions, and press materials with outsiders, questioning Yoon's qualifications to lead a committee that threatens colleagues while ignoring his own alleged misconduct.
Additionally, Jin criticized the party's spokesperson and newly appointed ethics committee member for publicly declaring himself as the "representative of the party leader" and for Yoon's arbitrary establishment of criteria for discipline without formal approval, stating, "The feared disciplinary politics aimed at party control has already revealed its true nature."
Jin expressed his intention to sincerely explain the circumstances and intentions behind the ethics committee's procedures but emphasized that Yoon must first ensure fairness in the process. He questioned who would trust a committee that meets with a small number of members to judge political opponents while remaining silent on its chair's own allegations. He concluded by stating, "What the People Power Party needs now is not a disciplinary dance for party control, but to face the reasons for the defeat in the June 3 elections and regain public trust."
Previously, the ethics committee initiated disciplinary procedures against Jin for allegedly supporting independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon in the June 3 by-elections.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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