Han Dong-hoon calls party leadership's disciplinary push 'grotesque'

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon sharply criticized the People Power Party's central ethics committee for resuming disciplinary proceedings next week, saying the party leadership is "pulling out disciplinary measures to cling to power."

Speaking on the Busan Ilbo's YouTube channel Thursday, Han said the party leadership faction "should be taking responsibility and stepping down," but instead is "covering the public's eyes by pushing absurd disciplinary measures to escape the crisis." He called the situation "grotesque."

"Isn't the reason they keep doing this to pick fights with me so they can have something to lean on and survive?" Han said. "I will not play along."

He also took aim at the individuals heading the ethics committee and the party audit committee. "When I look at who chairs the ethics committee and the party audit committee, I can't help but think, 'How did people like that end up there?'" Han said. "It's not that I'm afraid of them."

Han also argued that if the current leadership steps aside and the conservative party takes its first steps toward rebuilding, its approval rating would rise by 10 percentage points from where it stands now.

Asked about the possibility of rejoining the PPP under the leadership of Jang Dong-hyeok, Han said it was "not necessarily" the only path, adding, "There will be various ways to return to the party."

He went on to say that "the media and the public have already rendered their verdict on the current leadership faction," and that floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik would find it difficult to move forward without resolving the situation.

Meanwhile, the PPP's central ethics committee is set to hold a plenary session Sunday to resume its review of disciplinary cases suspended during the local elections. Multiple disciplinary requests targeting pro-Han lawmakers who supported Han are said to have been submitted to the committee.