Internal Strife Flares in South Korea's Ruling Party Over Ethics Committee Appointments

Internal strife continues within South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) after the appointment of two new members to its central ethics committee. The move is expected to accelerate disciplinary proceedings against party figures, including lawmakers, but has also exposed deep divisions within the party's leadership.

“

Considering that two ethics committee members had their real names revealed to the media and felt pressure and burden, leading to their resignations, we appointed two additional members.

Choi Bo-yoon, the party's senior spokesperson, stated that the new members were appointed to fill vacancies left by previous committee members who resigned due to public pressure. "Considering that two ethics committee members had their real names revealed to the media and felt pressure and burden, leading to their resignations, we appointed two additional members," Choi explained. The newly appointed members are reportedly legal professionals, not party members. The ethics committee, which has a maximum of nine members, had been operating with only five after several resignations, raising questions about the procedural legitimacy of decisions made by a quorum.

The appointment process itself was contentious. Supreme council member Woo Jae-joon vocally opposed the move, arguing that the committee's potential bias should be investigated before proceeding with appointments. "I cannot agree with the stance of pushing forward with the ethics committee by simply filling the vacancies of those who resigned," Woo stated. Despite his objections, the appointment was approved by a 6-2 vote, with Woo and another council member expressing dissent or abstention. The heated exchange reportedly led to Woo leaving the meeting.

“

I cannot agree with the stance of pushing forward with the ethics committee by simply filling the vacancies of those who resigned.

Ethics committee chairman Yoon Min-woo issued a statement warning against further breaches of confidentiality within the committee, signaling a firm stance against internal dissent. This statement is seen as a response to earlier public remarks by Vice Chairman Woo Jong-hwan and committee member Hwang Kyung-sung, who had criticized Chairman Yoon's leadership style and boycotted meetings. Reports suggest that during a closed-door supreme council meeting, there were calls to dismiss Vice Chairman Woo.

“

If violations of the duty of confidentiality related to internal discussions of the ethics committee recur, we will take strict measures, including requesting the dismissal of the relevant ethics committee member to the party leader, in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Kwon Young-se, who faces disciplinary action for allegedly grabbing floor leader Chung Jin-suk's collar over a dispute regarding committee assignments, apologized during a closed-door general meeting of lawmakers. He expressed his intention to faithfully participate in the ethics committee proceedings and await the outcome, hoping his case would not further divide the party.

“

I will faithfully participate in the ethics committee disciplinary proceedings and calmly await the results. I hope that my disciplinary issue does not become a factor of conflict and division among lawmakers.