A court on the 5th granted an injunction filed by lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin to halt the People Power Party ethics committee's disciplinary action. Bae is considered a leading figure in the pro-Han (Han Dong-hoon) faction within the party.
The Seoul Southern District Court's Civil Division 51 (Chief Senior Judge Kwon Seong-su) on this day granted Bae's request for an injunction to suspend the effect of the disciplinary action against the People Power Party.
Under the court's decision, the effect of the People Power Party's disciplinary action against Bae is suspended until a ruling is handed down in the main case.
On the 13th of last month, Bae received a heavy penalty of a one-year suspension of party membership for posting a photo of a minor child of an online user who criticized Bae on social media (SNS). Arguing the discipline was unfair, Bae filed for an injunction to suspend its effect with the Southern District Court on the 20th of last month.
Bae has protested that the People Power Party ethics committee issued unjust discipline to purge opponents of Jang Dong-hyeok as party leader and to secure nomination rights for the local elections.
Separately, a decision is expected in the middle to latter part of this month on the injunction request filed by former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyeok against the People Power Party to suspend the effect of his disciplinary action.
Kim, the former Supreme Council member, received a "recommendation to leave the party" for remarks and behavior in media interviews and elsewhere that allegedly insulted the party leadership and party members. He was expelled on the 9th after failing to submit a withdrawal form.
He appeared at the first hearing date on the 26th of last month and told reporters, "Since Jang Dong-hyeok became leader, the party's ethics committee has degenerated into a tool for purging political opponents."
He added, "Just as the public can criticize the president, party members can criticize a political party," and said, "The discipline (against former Supreme Council member Kim) infringes on freedom of expression under the Constitution and therefore does not constitute grounds for punishment."