Kwon Youngjin Apologizes for Grabbing Floor Leader by the Collar... People Power Party Vows Firm Response

Kwon Youngjin Says "I Deeply Reflect on My Mistake" and Apologizes
People Power Party Leaves Possibility of Disciplinary Action Open

Kwon Youngjin, a member of the People Power Party, apologized on July 24 for grabbing floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik by the collar the previous day in protest over his parliamentary committee assignment. The People Power Party announced a firm response, stating, "We will handle this issue with the utmost severity as soon as a disciplinary request is filed."

Kwon Youngjin, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News.

Chief spokesperson Park Seonghoon met with reporters at the National Assembly on the afternoon of July 24 and said, "On behalf of the party, I apologize to the party members and the people who were hurt by Assemblyman Kwon's actions yesterday," adding, "This incident goes beyond simple violations such as defamation or breaches of decorum; it is a grave act that crosses the line of what is expected from a public servant representing the people."

Chief spokesperson Park further noted, "Many point out that this incident starkly reveals how much party discipline and order have eroded," opening the possibility of disciplinary action. He continued, "The party is, after all, a political organization operated by responsibility and discipline," he said. "We apologize once again to our party members and the public to ensure such incidents do not recur."

It was reported that, the previous afternoon, Assemblyman Kwon used harsh language in protesting to floor leader Jeong in the floor leader's office regarding his committee assignment. In addition to physical altercations, he grabbed the floor leader by the collar. On the morning of July 24, Assemblyman Kwon stated, "I committed a grave discourtesy to floor leader Jeong and harmed his leadership," adding, "I deeply reflect on my faults and sincerely apologize."

The party's deputy floor leadership has taken a firm stance. On July 24, they issued a statement saying, "This incident must be dealt with strictly and resolutely according to due process," and called for an extraordinary general assembly to convene." The party's secretariat labor union also issued a statement criticizing Assemblyman Kwon's actions. District party association heads outside the National Assembly held a press conference calling for the highest level of disciplinary action.

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