A court accepted former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyeok's request for an injunction to halt the disciplinary action imposed by the People Power Party's ethics committee.
The Civil Agreement Division 51 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Chief Senior Judge Kwon Seong-su) on the 20th granted Kim's request for an injunction to suspend the effect of the disciplinary action filed against the People Power Party.
Kim, the former Supreme Council member, received a "recommendation to leave the party" on the grounds that he made remarks in media interviews and elsewhere that insulted the party leadership and members. He was then expelled on the 9th of last month for failing to submit a withdrawal report.
Classified as aligned with pro-Han Dong-hoon figures, Kim has protested that the punishment is unjust, saying it is aimed at purging opponents of leader Jang Dong-hyeok.
He appeared for the first hearing date on the 26th of last month and told reporters, "Since the emergence of leader Jang Dong-hyeok, the party's ethics committee has degenerated into a tool for purging political opponents."
On the 5th, the court likewise granted an injunction for lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin, who, like Kim, challenged the party ethics committee's disciplinary action. Bae received a heavy penalty of a one-year suspension of party membership on the 13th of last month for posting a photo of a minor child of an online user who defamed her on social media (SNS).
Accordingly, the effect of Bae's disciplinary action is suspended until a ruling is handed down in the main case.