Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Ruling party wary of forthcoming court decision on new interim leadership
Ruling People Power Party interim leader Chung Jin-suk answers reporters' questions at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
PPP unveils list of six interim committee members
By Nam Hyun-woo
Ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim chief Chung Jin-suk said Tuesday that courts should refrain from excessively interfering in the party's internal affairs, as the Seoul Southern District Court is poised to decide whether it will accept the filings of PPP ousted leader Lee Jun-seok of four injunctions to suspend the interim leadership.
“It is desirable for the courts to refrain from excessively intervening in the decisions made independently, autonomously within a political party,” Chung told reporters.
“If the line of judicial restraint is crossed, very worrisome things could happen,” Chung said. “Meaning ultimately that the courts will rule over politics.”
Chung's comments came hours before the PPP to named six members to Chung's interim leadership committee. The six consist of three lawmakers, Reps. Kim Sang-hoon, Jun Joo-hyae and Jeong Jeom-sig, and three aspiring lawmakers.
Rep. Park Hyeung-soo, a PPP spokesman, said the six people represent their regions and the region-based selections aimed for unity of the party. “They have enough experience in their areas of specialization as well as the capabilities to represent their regions,” he told the reporters, explaining the selection criteria.
However, it remains uncertain how long they will be able to stay in those positions, as a court hearing on former Chairman Lee's injunction filings is scheduled for Wednesday and a subsequent ruling on the PPP's new leadership is also pending.
Former People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok speaks during a press conference with party members at the Kim Kwang-seok Street Outdoor Concert Hall in Jung District, Daegu, Sept. 4. Yonhap
The PPP suspended Lee's chairmanship over allegations that he accepted sexual services twice as bribery in exchange for political favors and attempted to destroy the evidence. It then formed an emergency interim leadership committee last month, which automatically invalidated Lee's status as the leader of the party. In protest, Lee has so far filed four injunctions with the Seoul Southern District Court.
The court on Aug. 26 partially accepted the first filing, nullifying the PPP's decision to have Rep. Joo Ho-young as its interim leader. Lee has said he will drop the second injunction filing targeting the emergency interim leadership committee members, as they resigned upon the first injunction.
Since the court accepted Lee's first injunction filing due to the unclear description of the conditions for the interim leadership, the party amended its charter in a national convention and named Rep. Chung as its new interim leader.
Lee again challenged the PPP's decision by filing a third injunction nullifying the national convention and a fourth injunction suspending Chung's interim leadership last week.
The court will hold a hearing session on the third and fourth injunctions filed on Wednesday. Since the court accepted Lee's first injunction nine days after its filing and it has already looked into the battle between Lee and his party, it is anticipated that the court may rule on them within this week.
The result is anticipated to sway the PPP's efforts to extinguish its internal feud and focus on the ongoing plenary session of the National Assembly. The PPP is now taking on a series of challenges posed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which seeks use its majority in the Assembly to table a bill allowing an independent counsel to investigate first lady Kim Keon-hee on allegations of academic fraud, academic plagiarism, stock price manipulation and bribery.
If the court again accepts Lee's requests and nullifies Chung's interim leadership, the PPP will have to rely on the leadership of its floor leader, who will be elected on next Monday. The PPP's current floor leader, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, said last week he would step down from the post to take responsibility for his role in the party's infighting.