South Korea’s main opposition party leader on Wednesday suspended a senior lawmaker from the party’s Supreme Council, holding him responsible for making incendiary remarks that worsened infighting among senior members.
The decision by Rep. Moon Jae-in, chair of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, to suspend Rep. Jung Cheong-rae from the party’s top decision-making body, aims to address the negative public attention since Jung’s statements last Friday, observers said.
Jung has faced severe public criticism since he accused NPAD Rep. Joo Seung-yong of trying to trying to cause friction within the party.
“I have decided to give Rep. Jung some time to spend alone,” Moon said.
“This is a de facto suspension on (Jung’s) activities within the party,” NPAD Rep. Yoo Eun-hae, a party spokesperson, said. “(Wednesday’s) decision to (suspend Jung) was a unanimous decision among members of the Supreme Council,” Yoo added.
Jung, famous for posting critical comments against fellow lawmakers on Twitter and Facebook, vowed to remain quiet in the coming weeks.
Mainstream media and old-guard NPAD lawmakers asserted that his words had sparked unnecessary infighting in the main opposition party.
Jung accused Joo of “blackmailing” the party in front of news cameras after Joo had repeated his intent to resign from the party’s Supreme Council to “take responsibility” for the crushing defeats in the April parliamentary by-elections.
The ruling Saenuri Party had unexpectedly trounced the NPAD in polls, winning in three of the four contested districts. The NPAD did not win any seat.
“Threatening to resign while not actually resigning is the same as blackmailing the party,” Jung had said. Adding, “Stop sabotaging the unity of this party and join efforts to rebuild it before next year’s general elections.”
Joo resigned immediately afterward, denying the accusations.
Jung ignored calls from party officials and local media to apologize, although he urged his colleague to return to the council.
Later in the week Jung posted comments on social networking sites boasting that his supporters had sent more political donations to him after he had made the strong statements.
But his apparent lack of remorse angered NPAD officials.
Junior NPAD officials filed a formal protest against Jung to the party’s ethics committee on Tuesday. Rep. Kim Dong-cheol, a third term lawmaker, also threatened to exit the party if no action was taken.
NPAD Rep. Park Byeong-sug, a fourth-term lawmaker and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, had also urged Moon on Tuesday to “make a partywide effort,” to address the growing criticism against Jung and the electoral defeats last month.
By Jeong Hunny ()
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
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