Park Deokheum: "Cho Kyungtae Must Stop Actions Against the Party... If You Dislike the Temple, the Monk Should Leave"

Cho Files Ethics Committee Complaint Against Representative Jang Donghyuk

Park Deokheum, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly affiliated with the People Power Party, on July 7 addressed Cho Kyungtae, a six-term lawmaker and the most senior member of the People Power Party, saying, "If you don't like the temple, it is only natural for the monk to leave," and added, "Stop being cowardly. If you do not wish to follow our party's values and decisions, then you should leave the party."

Deputy Speaker Park made these remarks about Assemblyman Cho on his social networking service (SNS) account the same day, stating, "That is the last duty you can show as a six-term politician." This was in response to Assemblyman Cho's rebuttal after he had criticized Deputy Speaker Park as being associated with pro-insurrection forces during the deputy speaker election process and allegedly called ruling party lawmakers to urge them to vote against Park's election.

Park Deokheum, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly affiliated with the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Deputy Speaker Park specifically targeted Assemblyman Cho, who had participated in the party's deputy speaker election, saying, "You insulted your own party by calling it a pro-insurrection force, yet you went around begging for votes from more than one hundred lawmakers and tried to become deputy speaker under the party's banner. This is self-contradictory. On one hand, you shook hands and said you would accept the results, but behind the scenes, you defied the party's decisions and engaged in conduct detrimental to the party. It is time to stop this two-faced politics."

Earlier that day, during an appearance on SBS's 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show,' Assemblyman Cho said that although he had spoken with ruling party lawmakers by phone, "What I said was that pro-insurrection forces should not be allowed to hold National Assembly positions," adding, "That is my legitimate claim." He went on to say, "The election of the National Assembly leadership is conducted through free voting by lawmakers," and argued, "To judge right or wrong based on this is an infringement on lawmakers' suffrage and voting rights."

Assemblyman Cho is currently facing disciplinary proceedings before the Central Ethics Committee over this matter. Kim Minsu, a Supreme Council member, also mentioned Assemblyman Cho at the previous day's Supreme Council meeting, suggesting the need for disciplinary action. In response, Assemblyman Cho stated, "The person who seriously undermined the party is Representative Jang Donghyuk, who lied to the public and party members," adding that he plans to hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon and then submit a disciplinary request against Representative Jang to the Ethics Committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.