Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party has had her party membership and position as Seoul Metropolitan Party Chairwoman restored. She will now oversee candidate nominations and campaign operations for Seoul ahead of the June 3 local elections.
The Seoul Southern District Court on the 5th granted Bae's injunction request against the People Power Party to suspend disciplinary action. The party's Ethics Committee had imposed a one-year suspension of her party membership on the 13th of last month. The punishment stemmed from Bae posting a photograph of a minor child of a user who had written critical comments on her Facebook page, which the committee deemed potentially defamatory.
At the time, Bae held a press conference and sharply criticized the leadership, stating, "The Jang Dong-hyuk leadership has made a cowardly and cunning choice to hide behind the Central Ethics Committee and seize Seoul's nomination authority."
With the injunction granted, the disciplinary action is now temporarily suspended. Bae has recovered both her party membership and her position as Seoul Metropolitan Party Chairwoman, enabling her to lead operations for the June local elections.
"The Jang Dong-hyuk leadership, which undermined the party's democratic order, should reflect on their actions even now and operate the party normally for victory in the local elections," Bae said.