Rep. Bae Hyun-jin [Photo=Yonhap News]

The Central Ethics Committee of the People Power Party has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Rep. Bae Hyun-jin, who is considered aligned with the Han faction, on the 9th. 

This disciplinary action stems from the internal party opinion that Rep. Bae, as the Seoul City Chapter Chairman, led the drafting of a statement opposing the disciplinary action against former leader Han Dong-hoon, thereby distorting it to appear as the consensus of the entire Seoul City Chapter of the People Power Party. 

Lee Sang-gyu, the district chairman for Seongbuk-eul, Seoul, and a member of the party leadership faction, filed a complaint against Rep. Bae with the ethics committee on the 30th of last month, and the Central Ethics Committee of the People Power Party resolved to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Rep. Bae on the 6th. 

Chairman Lee claims that Rep. Bae distorted the opposition statement, which was drafted in the name of the Seoul City Chapter district chairmen regarding the expulsion of Han Dong-hoon, to make it seem as if it represented the entire Seoul City Chapter.

Conversely, the senior vice chairmen of the Seoul City Chapter, classified as part of the Han faction, argued in a statement, "Chairman Lee's claims are contrary to the facts, and at this critical juncture ahead of the local elections, the Seoul City Chapter chairman, who was elected through district elections across all regions of Seoul, should not be undermined."

Meanwhile, on the same day that the disciplinary proceedings against Rep. Bae were initiated by the central party, the Seoul City Chapter's Ethics Committee also commenced disciplinary proceedings against conservative YouTuber Go Sung-guk regarding the "posting of a photo of former President Chun Doo-hwan at the party headquarters."

Political commentators remarked on this situation, stating, "It has become a situation where the ethics committees of the central party and the Seoul City Chapter appear to be engaged in a proxy war between the party leadership faction and the Han faction." They unanimously added, "However, since the Seoul City Chapter's disciplinary action can be overturned by the Central Ethics Committee, the impact will likely be greater on the Han faction." 

Editorial Department, Hanmi Ilbo