People Power Party rebuts claims of Han Dong-hoon's disciplinary action, calling it political maneuvering

The People Power Party on the 13th rebuffed claims that the disciplinary ruling against independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon had been fabricated, calling it "political maneuvering." Chief Spokesperson Park Chung-kwon, speaking to reporters at the National Assembly that afternoon, said, "We have been receiving persistent tips that there are forces behind the fabrication of the disciplinary action," and added, "This bad political maneuvering and divisive politics must stop immediately." Park argued, "Due to the discordant factions within the party recently, 'President Lee Jae-myung's jailbreak law' (the Special Act on Fabricated Prosecutions) has disappeared from public discourse," characterizing this as "playing the role of aiding the President's jailbreak."

This comes in response to claims by Hwang Kyung-sung, a member of the party's Central Ethics Committee, that the disciplinary decisions, including the expulsion of a lawmaker, were rigged. Since the 11th, Hwang and a professor identified only as "C" have made statements through press releases and media interviews asserting that the disciplinary decisions against independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and lawmakers Bae Hyun-jin and Jin Jong-oh originated from manipulation by party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and Ethics Committee Chairman Yoon Min-woo. Hwang issued an additional statement on the 12th promising to release evidence, but as of the 13th the only material made public was a single photo of him dining with leader Jang, and he has stated he will not appear before the Supreme Council's fact-finding inquiry.

Chief Spokesperson Park Chung-kwon, referring to the January decision to expel a lawmaker, emphasized that it was "not a fabricated disciplinary action but a disciplinary action against the manipulation of public opinion," and that the party leadership's position is that any ethics committee reopening the case would reach the same conclusion. Leader Jang has previously denied allegations of interference in the disciplinary process, saying he never met face-to-face with the ethics committee members, and that if there were procedural problems, legal action could be taken.

Within the party, demands for a fact-finding investigation are also emerging. Rep. Park Jeong-hoon of the pro-Han faction argued that the matter warrants criminal punishment, while Rep. Ahn Sang-hoon called for an investigation at the party level.