People Power Party Ethics Committee Member Alleges 'Fabricated Disciplinary Action'... Han Dong-hoon: 'Political Purge Exposed'

Hwang Kyungsung: "Disciplinary Actions Against Han Donghoon and Jin Jongoh Were Fabricated"
PPP Party Affairs Audit Office: "No Decision Made on Reconstituting Ethics Committee"

A member of the People Power Party Central Ethics Committee on November 11 raised allegations of a “fabricated disciplinary action,” saying the committee had been mobilized to punish a specific figure. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon called his expulsion a “political purge” and demanded an investigation into the truth.

In a statement that day, People Power Party Ethics Committee member Hwang Kyung-sung claimed, “Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok suddenly demanded that all ethics committee members resign,” and “On October 27, the Party Affairs Audit Office asked us to submit our resignations, saying it was the leadership’s wish.”

“The Ethics Committee was ostensibly an independent body, but in reality it was Jang Dong-hyeok’s possession,” he claimed. “They are trying to replace the committee because they fear the full details of a secret deal between Jang and Ethics Committee Chair Yoon Min-woo to fabricate disciplinary actions will come to light.”

Hwang claimed that Jang had lunch with Chair Yoon on July 8 and pushed for disciplinary action against lawmaker Jin Jong-oh, who is aligned with Han, as a test case. He also said, “I have secured materials related to the process from the expulsion of former lawmaker Han last January to the disciplinary action against lawmaker Jin in August,” adding, “As someone who took part in the fabricated disciplinary action, I sincerely apologize to those who were disciplined and to my fellow party members.”

Then-People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall last January regarding the party's decision to expel him. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The People Power Party’s Party Affairs Audit Office rejected as speculation the claim that it had asked all Ethics Committee members to resign.

An official from the Party Affairs Audit Office explained, “As the term of the Party Affairs Audit Committee was ending, we were practically reviewing whether to reconstitute the Central Ethics Committee, whose members’ terms expire in early January 2027. In that process, we asked the current Ethics Committee members whether they intended to resign.” The official added, “No decision has been made regarding reconstitution.”

Han also posted on social media shortly afterward: “Hwang Kyung-sung, the Ethics Committee member who was involved in expelling me, made a conscience-based confession that the disciplinary action against me was ‘fabricated’ and publicly apologized.” He claimed, “The truth has come to light: Han Dong-hoon’s expulsion, carried out by mobilizing the Ethics Committee, was a political purge intended to serve a specific person’s political interests.”

Jin, who was the target of disciplinary action, also called for Jang to take responsibility. Jin said, “This is not an external political attack or media speculation, but a conscience-based confession by an Ethics Committee member who wielded the disciplinary sword alongside them.” He added, “If this is true, they picked the person first and then tailored the disciplinary process to fit.”

He demanded that Jang disclose whether he discussed Jin’s disciplinary action over lunch with Chair Yoon on July 8 and whether they had agreed in advance to make Jin an example. He added, “Reveal the full truth behind these allegations, and if the disciplinary action is found to have been wrongful, correct it immediately and apologize,” and also called on Jang to resign as party leader.

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