The People Power Party leadership formed the party's Central Ethics Committee. It came six days after the Party Affairs Audit Committee referred the results of its investigation into the "party members' bulletin board controversy" involving former leader Han Dong-hoon and Han's family to the ethics panel. Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader, is expected to soon finalize the appointment of the ethics committee chair. With the ethics panel's formation wrapping up quickly early in the year, disciplinary proceedings against the former leader appear likely to pick up speed.
On the morning of the 5th, the People Power Party approved an agenda item at its Supreme Council meeting to appoint seven members to the Central Ethics Committee. The ethics committee chair and vice chair will be selected internally by mutual election among the seven newly appointed members.
People Power Party Spokesperson Jo Yong-sul met with reporters after the Supreme Council meeting and said, "The party leader was determined to ensure the ethics committee itself is formed strictly, and we received recommendations for various figures," adding, "It was formed independently of the party leader's personal matters. To ensure fairness, the ethics committee chair will also be appointed through mutual election from within."
Political circles view the People Power Party leadership's formation of the ethics panel as a starting signal for disciplining the former leader over the party members' bulletin board controversy. The controversy involves allegations that from July to November last year, party members believed to be the former leader's family posted articles and messages criticizing former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, as well as lawmakers aligned with the pro-Yoon faction, on the People Power Party's members' bulletin board.
The reason the ethics panel's formation is drawing attention is its authority to discipline ordinary party members. Earlier, on the 30th of last month, the Party Affairs Audit Committee sent the results of its probe into the party members' bulletin board case related to the former leader to the ethics committee. However, because the Party Affairs Audit Committee can only recommend discipline for current party officials, the ethics panel's formation was essential to discipline the former leader, who currently holds the status of an ordinary party member.
With the ethics panel formed, assessments are that a "Jang-Han-Seok (Jang Dong-hyeok, Han Dong-hoon, Lee Jun-seok) alliance" is virtually impossible. On the 24th of last month, the former leader mentioned Jang's "24-hour filibuster" on Facebook, saying "You worked hard" and "This is the time we all must fight together and defend," raising expectations for an alliance. Former President Lee Myung-bak and Senior Advisor Kim Moo-sung, among other "conservative elders," also lent weight to the alliance theory.
However, Jang still adheres to a "self-strengthening" line rather than an alliance. At a press briefing on the 2nd, Jang said, "There may be obstacles that block integration and alliance," adding, "The party leader must remove those obstacles to create room to achieve intra-party unity."