Seoul, Jan 14 An internal rift in the South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was seen to be intensifying on Wednesday after its ethics committee voted to expel former chief Han Dong-hoon over allegations his family posted defamatory comments about former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The ethics panel announced the decision in a late-night meeting Tuesday, saying Han will be expelled for actions deemed "extremely damaging to the party" and for violating party rules in ways that hinder the PPP's development and negatively affect public sentiment.
Han's family faces allegations of uploading derogatory posts about Yoon, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, on a bulletin board of the PPP's website.
The expulsion comes as the leadership of the current PPP chief, Jang Dong-hyeok, has sought to distance the embattled party from Yoon ahead of the June 3 local elections.
PPP lawmakers clashed over the committee's decision, with those aligned with Han denouncing the vote as politically motivated, Yonhap news agency reported.
Rep. Woo Jae-jun, a member of the party's youth supreme council, said the decision to expel Han has 'no legitimacy,' calling it 'retaliation' against Han for supporting Yoon's impeachment.
Han, once a close aide to Yoon, was among party members who opposed Yoon's decree on the night of the martial law and later supported his impeachment.
Shortly after the decision was announced, Han posted a brief message on his Facebook page, saying he will "defend democracy together with the people."
In a press conference, Han described the party's move as 'another' declaration of martial law, saying he will work to block it 'once again' with the people and party members.
"Another martial law has been declared that destroys the Constitution and democracy at a time when we must overcome the previous martial law and move toward unity," Han said, though he added that he has no intention to file for reconsideration.
Rep. Song Seok-jun wrote on Facebook, "(The decision marks) the death of democracy within the party."
Meanwhile, other members of the party's leadership defended the panel's move.
"There was a broad consensus within the party that this issue had dragged on too long and that we needed to come to a conclusion," Rep. Shin Dong-wook said on a local radio program, urging the leadership's efforts to prevent further escalation of the internal rift, Yonhap news agency reported.
On a YouTube channel of a local broadcaster, Rep. Kim Jae-won said the decision marked an end to the "Yoon Suk Yeol era" and urged the party to "start fresh."
PPP media spokesperson Park Min-young also supported the committee's move, stressing, "Manipulation of public opinion is not democracy."
The decision has raised concerns that the escalating conflict could weaken the party in the upcoming local elections and drive away conservative supporters.
Under the ethics committee's four-tier disciplinary system -- which ranges from the lowest of warning to the highest of expulsion -- Han will be expelled and stripped of his party membership.
The committee noted that Han publicly admitted that he belatedly became aware of his family's involvement in the posts.
Han's expulsion is expected to be finalised at a supreme council meeting as early as January 26.
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