Kwon Young-jin and Seo Beom-soo, both lawmakers from the People Power Party, have decided to challenge their party suspensions of 18 months and 10 months, respectively, by seeking a re-examination from the party's Ethics Committee.
On September 2, Kwon announced his intention to request a re-examination during an appearance on Channel A's YouTube program 'Political Signal.' The Ethics Committee had previously imposed an 18-month suspension on Kwon for physically confronting floor leader Jeong Geum-sik over dissatisfaction with committee assignments.
Kwon explained, "There was a lot of dissatisfaction among lawmakers regarding the committee assignments. The incident escalated into a physical confrontation as I was voicing those concerns on behalf of my colleagues."
He further argued that an 18-month suspension is effectively equivalent to expulsion, stating, "Considering that the application for candidacy for the upcoming general election occurs during the suspension, this is an extremely harsh punishment that deprives me of the opportunity to apply for candidacy."
Kwon characterized the disciplinary action against him as politically motivated, saying, "The general sentiment within the party is that this is not a fair and just punishment but rather a form of political retaliation. If they think they can intimidate those who speak out with disciplinary actions, they are mistaken."
However, he refrained from commenting on potential follow-up actions, such as filing for an injunction, if the re-examination is denied. Kwon expressed skepticism about taking the matter to court, stating, "The request for re-examination is intended to correct this politically and to avoid bringing it to the courts."
Seo Beom-soo, who received a 10-month suspension for making inappropriate jokes in a public setting, announced on his Facebook page that he has also filed for a re-examination with the Ethics Committee. He apologized to the public and party members for causing concern but emphasized that he is requesting a review of the procedural fairness and appropriateness of the disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, lawmaker Jo Kyung-tae, who received a 30-month suspension on the same day, has accepted his punishment and will not seek a re-examination. Jin Jong-o, who was also sanctioned with a 24-month suspension, is expected to continue deliberating until the final day to file for re-examination on September 3.
On September 2, Kwon announced his intention to request a re-examination during an appearance on Channel A's YouTube program 'Political Signal.' The Ethics Committee had previously imposed an 18-month suspension on Kwon for physically confronting floor leader Jeong Geum-sik over dissatisfaction with committee assignments.
Kwon explained, "There was a lot of dissatisfaction among lawmakers regarding the committee assignments. The incident escalated into a physical confrontation as I was voicing those concerns on behalf of my colleagues."
He further argued that an 18-month suspension is effectively equivalent to expulsion, stating, "Considering that the application for candidacy for the upcoming general election occurs during the suspension, this is an extremely harsh punishment that deprives me of the opportunity to apply for candidacy."
Kwon characterized the disciplinary action against him as politically motivated, saying, "The general sentiment within the party is that this is not a fair and just punishment but rather a form of political retaliation. If they think they can intimidate those who speak out with disciplinary actions, they are mistaken."
However, he refrained from commenting on potential follow-up actions, such as filing for an injunction, if the re-examination is denied. Kwon expressed skepticism about taking the matter to court, stating, "The request for re-examination is intended to correct this politically and to avoid bringing it to the courts."
Seo Beom-soo, who received a 10-month suspension for making inappropriate jokes in a public setting, announced on his Facebook page that he has also filed for a re-examination with the Ethics Committee. He apologized to the public and party members for causing concern but emphasized that he is requesting a review of the procedural fairness and appropriateness of the disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, lawmaker Jo Kyung-tae, who received a 30-month suspension on the same day, has accepted his punishment and will not seek a re-examination. Jin Jong-o, who was also sanctioned with a 24-month suspension, is expected to continue deliberating until the final day to file for re-examination on September 3.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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