People Power Party Representative Jang Dong-hyeok appears deep in thought during the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th. [Yonhap News] 

The internal strife within the People Power Party (PPP), which has persisted since the June 3rd local election defeat, is showing signs of escalating into a head-on collision between factions following the reactivation of the Ethics Committee.

This comes as Representative Jang, having played the "disciplinary card" under the pretext of penalizing acts detrimental to the party—and even mentioning a "permanent ban on reinstatement"—has triggered a powerful backlash from the anti-Jang camp, which has been demanding his resignation citing his responsibility for the election loss.

However, as the Ethics Committee appears to be adopting a cautious and limited approach to disciplinary reviews to avoid potential legal battles, and the anti-Jang camp is currently watching the committee's proceedings, the situation is likely to remain focused on verbal sparring for the time being.

Lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon (from right), the coordinator, Kwon Young-jin, and Ko Dong-jin, members of the PPP reform-oriented group "Alternatives and Future," arrive for a breakfast meeting held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 7th. [Yonhap News] 

◇ "Digging One's Own Grave," "The One Committing Detrimental Acts is Jang"... Backlash from the Anti-Jang Camp

The "Alternatives and Future" group, a reform-oriented assembly mainly composed of first- and second-term lawmakers, held a breakfast meeting that day to discuss issues such as the Ethics Committee's disciplinary reviews.

Every one of the 14 lawmakers in attendance expressed concern during the meeting.

Second-term lawmaker Cho Eun-hee stated, "I am watching (the Ethics Committee) with a sense of worry," adding, "The issue will be whether the criteria for disciplinary action can gain public consensus." Three-term lawmaker Song Seok-jun also criticized the move, saying, "Isn't this disciplinary action going beyond 'friendly fire' to stabbing ourselves in the foot and digging our own graves?"

After the meeting, the group's coordinator, Lee Sung-kwon, briefed reporters on the results, saying, "Even though the party should move toward integration and harmony after the crushing defeat in the local elections, the fact that the party leader himself is leading the party into division and conflict through 'disciplinary politics' and 'politics of fear' is wrong in itself."

He further declared, "The 'politics of subtraction' through disciplinary actions led by Representative Jang already lost its legitimacy due to a court ruling before the local elections. If he continues to engage in acts that run contrary to the perception of the majority of the public, we will not sit idly by." He also emphasized, "Didn't the floor leader express remarks in sympathy with our conclusions even before we did?"

Regarding countermeasures if disciplinary actions are decided against members of "Alternatives and Future," he said, "As nothing has been released on how the Ethics Committee will handle this, we have not discussed specific response measures yet," adding, "We will continue to organize programs to raise awareness of the issue in the future."

Six-term lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae also appeared on SBS Radio that day, pressuring Representative Jang by asking, "If we ask the public who is the one committing acts detrimental to the party—Representative Jang, who promised to step down if defeated in the local elections but is not taking responsibility—wouldn't the public give us the answer?"

It is reported that a disciplinary motion against Representative Cho has also been submitted to the Ethics Committee.

Pro-Han (Han Dong-hoon) lawmaker Park Jeong-hun also fiercely criticized him on CBS Radio, saying, "Representative Jang's detrimental acts are too numerous to list. He defended martial law, expelled Representative Han Dong-hoon, visited the U.S. without justification, and insisted on by-elections contrary to the majority view. Representative Jang should not be in politics in our party."

PPP members watching the news of Han Dong-hoon's election [Yonhap News] 

◇ Ethics Committee Reviews Over 60 Disciplinary Cases... A Climate of Cautious Consideration

The Ethics Committee held a closed-door meeting for two hours the previous day but reached no conclusions, only proceeding with the task of reviewing the disciplinary requests.

It is reported that the disciplinary cases handled by the committee involve over 60 items based on the acts subject to disciplinary review rather than the individuals themselves.

The committee's next review schedule is undecided. The committee appears to be leaning toward exercising caution in its deliberations rather than speeding up the process.

Furthermore, it is widely expected that the scope of disciplinary action will be narrowed to cases with clear violations of party regulations, such as "supporting independent candidates," rather than targeting all 20 to 30 incumbent lawmakers.

This is seen as an effort to ensure procedural legitimacy, considering that past disciplinary actions by the committee against Representative Bae Hyun-jin and former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyuk were suspended by court injunctions.

For these reasons, it is observed that, contrary to initial expectations, quick disciplinary decisions by the Ethics Committee are unlikely to emerge within this month.

Previously, Representative Jang caused a stir within the party at the closed-door Supreme Council meeting the day the Ethics Committee began by stating, "We must amend the party constitution and regulations to permanently ban reinstatement for serious acts detrimental to the party." However, his side clarified that the remark was made in reference to allegations that some local council members had colluded with the Democratic Party of Korea during the process of electing local council chairs.