A court has rejected an injunction request filed by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the Democratic Party of Korea over allegations of distributing cash.
The 51st Civil Division of the Seoul Southern District Court (Presiding Judge Kwon Sung-soo) on Wednesday dismissed both Kim's request for a stay of his expulsion and an injunction to halt the party's gubernatorial primary process.
"Based on the evidence submitted, it is difficult to conclude that the expulsion failed to meet the requirements for emergency disciplinary action, that the procedure was unlawful due to insufficient opportunity to respond, or that the punishment was excessively severe relative to the matter," the court said.
Regarding the request to halt the primary process, the court stated, "This request is premised on the stay of the expulsion's effect, but since the injunction for the stay has been rejected, this injunction request is also difficult to accept."
Kim came under suspicion in November last year for allegedly handing cash to incumbent city and provincial council members and young people at a restaurant in Jeonju, Jeonbuk. Democratic Party Chairman Chung Chung-rae subsequently ordered an emergency inspection of Kim by the party's ethics inspection unit, and the party's Supreme Council expelled Kim following a late-night closed-door meeting on January 1. Kim had been competing in the Democratic Party primary for re-election at the time. He filed the injunction request with the court the following day.