People Power Party ethics committee to review disciplinary measures against three lawmakers

The ethics committee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said Monday it will hold a meeting this week to review possible disciplinary measures against three lawmakers over allegations of misconduct.

The committee is expected to draft written inquiries to be sent to the lawmakers at the meeting, as it was recently restored to a seven-member panel after a series of resignations amid internal disputes.

The panel plans to hear from the lawmakers as early as mid-August before deciding whether to take disciplinary measures, according to the party.

Among the lawmakers is six-term Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae who is accused of making phone calls to lawmakers of other parties to try to prevent Rep. Park Duk-hyum from being elected as deputy National Assembly speaker.

Rep. Jin Jong-oh, a first-term lawmaker, was referred to the committee for allegedly supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon for a parliamentary seat in the southeastern city of Busan ahead of the June 3 local elections for which the PPP had its own candidate.

Rep. Kwon Young-jin, meanwhile, has come under fire for allegedly using violence against PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig while protesting parliamentary committee assignments last month.

The lawmakers have protested the committee's decision to push ahead with the disciplinary reviews, questioning the panel's impartiality.

"I filed a complaint against party leader Jang Dong-hyeok with the committee, why hasn't that been reviewed?" Cho said.

Cho filed the complaint to the committee last month, accusing the party leader of failing to take responsibility for the PPP's defeat in the June 3 local elections and seeking his expulsion from the party.

He has also questioned Rep. Jang's excessive use of party funds during his visit to the United States ahead of the elections, citing data that show the trip cost about 206 million won (US$182,000).

"If it's true that he used 200 million won in the U.S., there are growing calls for him to be disciplined first for leaving his post ahead of the local elections," he said on BBS radio.

The PPP has dismissed the criticism, saying the party delegation used the minimum amount necessary for the trip.