Kim Han-seul, People Power Party Spokesman: Warning to Choo Mi-ae and Boo Seung-chan is 'Ghost Discipline'...Urging Democratic Party to Clarify

Amid controversy over whether the 'warning' measures against Choo Mi-ae, Gyeonggi Province Governor of the Democratic Party, and Boo Seung-chan, National Assembly member, constitute official discipline, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch has criticized it as 'ghost discipline' and urged disclosure of the basis in party rules and the resolution procedures.

According to political circles on the 22nd, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch issued a commentary under the name of Chief Spokesman Kim Han-seul, stating, "The spokesman says it is discipline, while the working-level officials say it doesn't seem to be," and criticized it as "the Democratic Party's bizarre ghost discipline that makes firefighters cry twice."

Earlier, Democratic Party Spokesman Jo Gye-won clarified that the warning was not an emergency discipline according to party rules, while explaining that "it is also a kind of disciplinary decision" and that the Supreme Council can make disciplinary decisions.

On the other hand, a Democratic Party working-level official stated, "After working-level staff left, discussions were held among Supreme Council members, so we could not confirm the actual resolution procedure," and said, "It does not seem to be discipline according to party rules."

Governor Choo's side also reportedly did not receive a separate written document.

In response, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch issued a commentary under the name of Chief Spokesman Kim Han-seul, stating, "Schrödinger's cat also comes to one of two conclusions when the box is opened," and "The box presented by the Democratic Party is discipline when opened by the spokesman, seems not to be discipline when opened by working-level staff, and is a strange disposal with no written document when opened by the parties involved," pointing out the absurdity.

The provincial branch also raised questions about the disciplinary procedures based on Democratic Party Rule No. 7 "Ethics Arbitration Rules."

Articles 12 and 13 of the party rules stipulate that discipline for National Assembly members and local government officials be examined and decided by the central party's Ethics Arbitration Committee, and Article 32 exceptionally allows the party representative to directly impose emergency discipline through a Supreme Council resolution.

Additionally, Article 16 specifies a warning, one of the disciplinary measures, as "a disciplinary measure urging caution in writing."

Chief Spokesman Kim stated regarding this, "While saying it is not emergency discipline, the Supreme Council is reaching an agreement on a verbal warning and explaining it as official discipline and attempting to conclude the matter," and claimed, "This raises suspicion of avoiding the burden of formal discipline while only trying to appease public opinion."

He further pointed out that Democratic Party Chairman Kim Min-seok promised an apology and follow-up measures, but in reality reached a conclusion that is even unclear about whether formal disciplinary resolution was made and whether it remains in official disciplinary records.

Chief Spokesman Kim stated, "An apology that is unclear whether it is discipline or not cannot gain sincerity," and urged, "Clearly disclose before firefighters and the people the specific articles and sections of party rules and regulations upon which this warning is based, what procedures were followed in the resolution, and whether there are written disposition and official disciplinary records."

He went on to claim, "If the Democratic Party cannot provide clear grounds, what they did was merely an eye-wash to evade public opinion."