People’s Power Lee Jun-seok. Reporter Yoon Chang-won
The Ethics Committee, which started disciplinary action related to the power of People’s Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok’s suspicion of sexual harassment, is expected to decide sooner or later whether to take disciplinary action in line with Lee Yang-hee’s return to Korea. Although CEO Lee maintains his position of ‘honesty’, a big wave is expected depending on the level of her disciplinary action.
CEO Lee appeared on YTN Radio’s ‘New King Park Ji-hoon’ on the 17th and said, “I don’t understand which part the Ethics Committee is going to deal with.” In April, the Ethics Committee started disciplinary procedures on the grounds of ‘violation of the duty to maintain dignity related to the suspicion of a teacher of destruction of evidence’ related to the allegation of sexual harassment by CEO Lee. In 2013, Lee received sexual favors in Daejeon, and the central point of the allegation is that Kim Cheol-geun, the leader of the party’s political affairs office, met with the informant and tried to destroy the evidence.
Currently, CEO Lee frequently states that the allegations are “no problem” and “groundless.” However, the reason for the ‘duty to maintain dignity’ cannot be quantitatively evaluated, so the decision on whether to take a disciplinary action is uncertain.
People’s Power Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong speaks at a meeting of the Supreme Council held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th. Reporter Yoon Chang-won
The Ethics Committee can decide on disciplinary action only with the attendance of a majority of the enrolled members (9 members) (5 members) and the approval of a majority of the members present (3 members). Depending on the decision of the members who have withheld judgment, actual disciplinary action may be taken.
Although the ethics committee’s schedule is officially “undecided,” it is said that there is a possibility that an emergency meeting will be convened as early as this week and a conclusion can be reached as soon as possible as Chairman Lee returns to Korea after completing his overseas schedule.
The key is that depending on the level of disciplinary action, Lee’s behavior can fluctuate. The ethics committee can make a decision in four stages: △warning, △suspension of party membership, △recommendation to leave the party, and △expulsion.
Among them, the expulsion must separately go through the resolution of the Supreme Committee. Even though it is stipulated that if you do not submit a report of resignation within 10 days of the invitation to leave the party, your expulsion will be processed without delay.
Previously, in 2017, the “recommendation to leave the party” measure against former President Park Geun-hye was also put on the top of the list after 10 days had elapsed. At the highest level, there were disagreements, and at that time, the then representative of the Liberty Korea Party, Hong Jun-pyo, decided ex officio to ‘exclude’.
In this case too, if severe disciplinary action such as expulsion or recommendation to leave the party is given, it seems likely that the highest level of discussion will take place, but the possibility of a resolution to expel the party leader is slim. An official from the leadership said, “He is the party leader who led the victories in the presidential and local elections, and it is doubtful how helpful it will be to the party to bring it down without substance.”
People’s Power Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong speaks at a meeting of the Supreme Council held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th. Reporter Yoon Chang-won
The problem is when the disciplinary action of ‘suspending party membership’ is imposed. Suspension of party membership can be taken within a period of not less than 1 month and not more than 3 years, and no separate resolution from the highest level is required. If this representative’s party membership is suspended, it is impossible to maintain the representative position. Then, within 60 days, a new party leader must be elected through a special convention.
However, in this case, CEO Lee may not accept the decision of the Ethics Committee, or he may use the authority of the representative to disband the Ethics Committee. In an interview with the Hankyoreh on the 16th, CEO Lee declared his unacceptable position in an interview with the Hankyoreh, saying, “The suspension of party membership, which the ethics committee can arbitrarily decide, is a political decision.”
There are many voices within the party concerned about the repercussions when the ethics committee decides on disciplinary action. An official from People’s Power said, “It is questionable whether disciplinary action can be implemented in a case where the facts have not been properly established.”
A first-time lawmaker also said, “I don’t think a disciplinary decision will be made,” he predicted.
On the other hand, the Ethics Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the various political interpretations of the Ethics Committee’s activities on the 18th.
Chairman Lee Yang-hee said, “Various speculative political interpretations have been raised about the activities, and the normal activities of the Ethics Committee are seriously disrupted due to the inappropriate handling of the Party Secretariat. We hope that inappropriate political behavior that disrupts our operations will not happen again,” he urged.
