Kwon Young-jin, a member of the ruling People Power Party, has stated that he will not voluntarily resign amid controversy surrounding his actions towards floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik regarding committee assignments.
According to political sources on August 1, Kwon expressed his position in a text message sent to fellow party members.
Previously, on July 23, Kwon protested after being assigned as the secretary of the Administrative Safety Committee against his wishes. He visited the floor leader's office, where he verbally attacked Jeong and grabbed him by the collar, sparking significant controversy.
Following this incident, the party's leadership held a meeting on July 27, during which they advised Kwon to resign voluntarily. They warned that if he did not, disciplinary procedures would be initiated through the Central Ethics Committee. After Kwon showed no intention of resigning, the Ethics Committee began disciplinary proceedings against him on the same day.
Kwon stated, "Despite my apology, the acceptance from the floor leader, and opposition from many members regarding my punishment, the Supreme Council led by Representative Jang Dong-hyuk recommended my resignation last Monday. The Ethics Committee has initiated disciplinary actions against me and two other members."
He added, "Anyone who makes a mistake should take responsibility and receive appropriate disciplinary action. I have already stepped down from my positions as the chairman of the Daegu City Party and the secretary of the Administrative Safety Committee to take responsibility."
Kwon reiterated that he has no intention of resigning voluntarily, stating, "If the Ethics Committee decides on a fair and appropriate punishment, I will accept it."
However, during a closed-door party meeting on July 30, Kwon acknowledged, "What happened that day was an undeniable mistake on my part," and expressed his commitment to cooperate with the Ethics Committee's disciplinary process while awaiting the outcome calmly.
Kwon entered politics in 1999 as a research fellow at the Yeouido Institute, the think tank of the People Power Party. He has served as a two-term member of the National Assembly and was the mayor of Daegu from 2014 to 2022.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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