Kim Han-seul, Spokesperson: Choo Mi-ae and Boo Seung-chan Warning is 'Phantom Discipline'... Urges Democratic Party to Clarify

Amid controversy over whether the 'warning' measure against Choo Mi-ae, Gyeonggi Province Governor of the Democratic Party, and Boo Seung-chan, National Assembly Member, constitutes an official discipline, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch criticized it as a 'phantom discipline' and urged disclosure of the party rules basis and voting procedures.

According to political circles on the 22nd, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch issued a commentary under the name of Chief Spokesperson Kim Han-seul, stating, "The spokesperson says it is discipline, while working-level staff say it doesn't seem to be," and criticized it as "the Democratic Party's bizarre phantom discipline that makes firefighters cry twice."

Earlier, Democratic Party Spokesperson Cho Gye-won stated that this warning does not constitute an emergency discipline under party rules but added "it is a kind of disciplinary decision" and explained that the Supreme Council can make disciplinary decisions.

In contrast, a Democratic Party working-level official stated, "After working-level staff withdrew, discussions were held among Supreme Council members, so we could not confirm the actual voting procedures," and said, "it doesn't seem to be discipline under the party constitution and rules."

Governor Choo's side is also reportedly not receiving a separate written notice.

In response, the People Power Party's Gyeonggi Province branch issued a commentary under Chief Spokesperson Kim Han-seul's name, stating, "Even Schrödinger's cat reaches a conclusion of one or the other when the box is opened," and remarked, "The box the Democratic Party produced is discipline when the spokesperson opens it, seems to be not discipline when working-level staff open it, and is a strange measure with not a single piece of paper when the parties involved open it."

Gyeonggi Province branch also raised questions about the discipline procedures based on Democratic Party Rules No. 7, "Rules on the Ethics Deliberation Council."

Articles 12 and 13 of party rules stipulate that the Central Party's Ethics Deliberation Council deliberates and votes on discipline for National Assembly Members and local government heads, while Article 32 stipulates that the party chairman can exceptionally impose emergency discipline directly upon a Supreme Council resolution.

Additionally, Article 16 specifies warnings, one of the disciplinary measures, as "disciplinary measures that urge caution in writing."

Spokesperson Kim stated regarding this, "If it is not emergency discipline, then the Supreme Council is reaching consensus with a verbal warning and explaining it as official discipline, attempting to conclude the matter," and argued, "this raises suspicion of avoiding the burden of formal discipline while only trying to appease public opinion."

He pointed out that Democratic Party Chairman Kim Min-seok promised apologies and follow-up measures but actually reached a conclusion that is unclear even regarding whether formal discipline was voted on and whether it remains in official discipline records.

Spokesperson Kim stated, "An apology that is unclear whether it is discipline or not cannot gain sincerity," and urged, "Make clear to firefighters and the nation what articles and clauses of the party constitution and rules this warning is based on, what procedures were used for the resolution, and what is the status of written notice and official discipline records."

He added, "If the Democratic Party cannot provide clear grounds, what it did was nothing but a sleight of hand to avoid public opinion."