People Power Party lawmaker Jo Gyeong-tae. [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Jo Gyeong-tae. [Yonhap]

The People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee convened Tuesday to deliberate on whether to discipline four anti-leadership lawmakers.

The committee held a plenary session that afternoon at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, summoning lawmakers Jo Gyeong-tae, Kwon Young-jin, Seo Beom-su and Jin Jong-oh to hear their explanations on the disciplinary matters under review. All four had previously been referred to the ethics committee over allegations of improper conduct.

Jo was referred after allegedly asking Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers in May to help defeat National Assembly Vice Speaker Park Deok-heum in an election. Kwon was referred after causing a scene during a standing committee assignment dispute, during which he allegedly grabbed PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik by the collar.

Seo drew controversy earlier this month when he said "Why not throw a roundhouse kick?" at a meeting attended by Kim Jin-ju (a pseudonym), the victim in the so-called "Busan roundhouse kick case."

Jin was referred for supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon in the Busan Buk-gap by-election during the June 3 local elections. Disciplinary proceedings were also initiated against Jin over a joke he made in response to Seo's remark — "I'm better with my hands than my feet."

After hearing the four lawmakers' explanations, the committee is expected to decide as early as Tuesday whether to impose discipline and, if so, at what level.

Under PPP party rules, disciplinary measures come in four tiers: expulsion, a recommendation to leave the party, suspension of party membership rights, and a formal warning.


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