Jung faces punishment for triggering feud

Rep. Jung Cheong-rae, right, of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), attends a National Assembly plenary session, Tuesday. At left is Rep. Joo Seung-yong who engaged in war of words with Jung over the future of party leader Moon Jae-in. / Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

A group of non-mainstreamers in the main opposition are demanding disciplinary action against Rep. Jung Cheong-rae.

Jung's widely-televised verbal outburst toward Rep. Joo Seung-young during a supreme council meeting is one of the latest cases of the factional division that has plagued the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).

The lawmakers asking to punish Jung submitted a petition to the party's ethics organ, Tuesday. Members of the NPAD's North Jeolla Province office also submitted a similar petition.

Jung could be ousted from the NPAD if the party decides on the highest level of punishment for disorderly conduct of a member.

Rep. Kang Chang-il, head of the ethics body, told Yonhap that that Rep. Jung’s case is being reviewed. “This incident is disrupting the entire party,” Kang said. “We are conducting a thorough review of the case.”

Kang will preside over a meeting Thursday, where punitive measures for Jung will be discussed.

The petition claims that Jung made “improper remarks as a supreme council member.”

Jung and Joo were quarreling about NPAD Chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in's post-election leadership. Joo, a non-mainstreamer, has demanded Moon resign to take responsibility for the party's defeat in the by-elections last month.

Enraged by Jung’s outburst, Joo threatened to abandon his place in the party's decision-making council. He reaffirmed Tuesday that he will not return to the council despite Jung's apology.

The Jung-Joo clash mirrors the party's internal fight between the Moon-led mainstream group and other factions.

Moon, who is the leader of a group linked to former President Roh Moo-hyun, has faced mounting calls to step down for the April 29 by-election where the main opposition failed to earn a single parliamentary seat.

Both Moon and the party have suffered in approval ratings since the vote.

Senior figures of the opposition bloc are turning their backs on Moon as well.

In a statement Tuesday, former NPAD co-chairman Kim Han-gil called on Moon to step down.

Kim's stance echoes that of other senior opposition politicians, including Rep. Park Jie-won, who is considered a leader of a rivaling faction of the pro-Roh coalition.

“Moon must make a choice,” Kim said. “He must decide whether to continue to restrict himself as a pro-Roh leader.”

When the NPAD suffered a defeat in the July 30 by-elections last year, Kim quit his position as party chairman.

Some non pro-Roh group lawmakers are planning to organize an ‘extra party convention’ if Moon does not come with specific measures to take responsibility for the election defeat by the end of this week.