South Korea's People Power Party faces internal power clash over ethics committee and filibuster slot

Party officials Woo Jae‑joon and Yang Hyang‑ja said the People Power Party’s recent decisions reveal a hidden power struggle. Woo criticized the fact that independent lawmaker Han Dong‑hoon was denied a filibuster speaking order, arguing that the party’s internal politics, not procedural fairness, determined the allocation. He also warned that a new provision allowing judges to dismiss indictments could be abused by powerful figures.

Yang explained that she abstained from voting on the appointment of two members to the party’s central ethics committee because she had not been given enough time to evaluate their independence, expertise or possible conflicts of interest. She described the ethics committee as being treated as a political tool by factions within the party and called for a neutral, transparent process to restore confidence.

Both officials called for reforms to ensure the party’s governance is fair, impartial and focused on upcoming electoral challenges, rather than internal factional battles.