Jung Kyung-tae, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, criticized the Central Ethics Committee's initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him on July 28, calling it "clear targeted punishment and political retaliation." He argued that party leader Jang Dong-hyuk should also face disciplinary action.
At a press conference held at the National Assembly, Jung stated, "This will serve as a litmus test to determine whether the People Power Party is a political party that has severed ties with insurrectionist forces or if it still turns a blind eye to insurrection."
Jung defended his actions in requesting that Democratic Party lawmakers help defeat Park Deok-heum, the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, saying he was merely fulfilling his duty as a constitutional body. He explained that he was voicing the public's demand not to elect someone who opposed the impeachment of an insurrection leader.
He criticized Jang, saying, "The leader of the main opposition party is disrupting national order by claiming election fraud. This is a clear act that tarnishes the party's honor and undermines public trust." He urged the Ethics Committee to immediately initiate severe disciplinary procedures against Jang, who has supported claims of election fraud and defended insurrection.
Jung also called for a review of the disciplinary process, which he claimed lacked procedural legitimacy, citing issues with quorum and fairness. He noted that the party's rules stipulate that the Central Ethics Committee should consist of no more than nine members, but after the local elections, the committee was reduced from seven to five members. "As the number of committee members decreases, the required number for decisions also diminishes," he pointed out.
He added that one committee member had raised concerns about the chair's unilateral management style and chose not to participate, while another left due to concerns about personal exposure. "Can a decision made by just three members be considered legitimate?" he questioned.
Jung emphasized that a committee member had admitted to being a "proxy for the party leader," suggesting that the Ethics Committee had abandoned its role as a fair adjudicator and had devolved into a "private disciplinary committee" for Jang. He argued that it should be referred to as Jang's "avatar committee" instead.
Regarding fellow lawmakers Jung Jong-o and Kwon Young-jin, who are also facing disciplinary action, he stated, "While I have been in politics for a long time, it is not desirable for the Ethics Committee to be activated for every issue."
He also criticized floor leader Jeong Seok-ki for the chaos surrounding the assignment of standing committee chairs, stating, "Selecting the party's standing committee chairs is an important matter, and the floor leader must do everything possible to avoid controversy. Assigning committees unilaterally is not acceptable for a floor leader."
When asked if he was contesting the results of the internal election for the Vice Speaker, he replied, "While Kim Moon-soo was selected as a candidate through democratic procedures, the process of replacing him with Han Deok-soo was clearly illegal. All 62 lawmakers who supported the candidate change should also face disciplinary action." He added that the 45 lawmakers who visited the residence of the insurrection leader should also be subject to discipline, emphasizing that this could lead to numerous lawmakers facing disciplinary action.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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