People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said he has personally accepted an apology from Rep. Kwon Young-jin over a disciplinary matter and intends to convey a request for leniency to the party's ethics committee if asked for his opinion.
Jeong made the remarks Tuesday in an interview on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyeon's Politics Show," saying Kwon had apologized through the party's group chat and then visited his office in person on Monday to express his regrets.
"The personal matter has been fully resolved," Jeong said, but added that he was not in a position to call for Kwon's expulsion or dismissal. The party's supreme council had already discussed the harshest disciplinary measures, including a recommendation to leave the party, and the ethics committee had opened formal proceedings.
"As a fellow member of the floor caucus, I personally hope he is treated with leniency," Jeong said. "Once the ethics committee has initiated disciplinary proceedings, it is difficult for me to weigh in, but if they ask for my view as the aggrieved party, I plan to express that I favor a lenient outcome."
Jeong also noted that Kwon had grabbed former floor leader Song Eon-seog by the collar during the same incident — Song had been trying to restrain Jeong at the time — and said Song's wishes on the matter were equally important.
On the question of party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's future, Jeong said the party had been gathering lawmakers' opinions since Jang took office, and that senior members were meeting on their own to explore options.
"Ultimately, whether the Jang leadership stays or goes comes down to either a personal decision by Jang himself, or a situation under the party constitution where four of the five elected supreme council members resign," Jeong said. "It is for Jang to assess the circumstances and decide whether to continue or step down."
On the parliamentary investigation into allegations that the National Election Commission violated voting rights, and the question of a ballot recount, Jeong said some had raised concerns that a recount led by the NEC with parliamentary investigation members present — given that a special prosecutor appointment was already planned — could undermine the special prosecutor's investigation or risk destroying evidence.
"The most desirable outcome would be for parliamentary investigation members, the ruling and opposition parties, the NEC, and the special prosecutor to jointly seize the ballot boxes and then proceed with a recount," he said. Jeong added that the PPP had asked the Democratic Party to extend the parliamentary investigation period and that the Democratic Party was reviewing the possibility.
Asked about the possibility that the party might have to return election expenses following the first-instance guilty verdict against former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, Jeong said the ruling was no more than a first-instance decision. "With appeals at the second and third instance still ahead, this is not the stage at which we need to worry about that," he said.
On the Democratic Party's push to abolish supplementary investigative powers, Jeong argued that while prosecutors could concede ground on the right to initiate investigations, they must retain the power to conduct supplementary investigations into cases referred by police. "If that is not recognized, case processing will drag on, victims will not receive adequate relief, and the public will suffer greater harm," he said.
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