The disciplinary action stems from controversies during the June 3 National Assembly by-election in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap constituency. According to reports from Good Morning Chungcheong, Jin actively supported independent candidate Han Dong-hun instead of the official party nominee, Park Min-shik, and dispatched his legislative aides to assist with Han’s campaign media channels. Additional penalties followed an August 4 incident where Jin made remarks regarding the Busan roundhouse kicking assault case during a seminar hosted by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hun.
Legal Challenge Filed Over Party Rights Suspension
Jin’s legal counsel, lawyer Park Sang-soo, announced via social media on the morning of September 6 that the injunction application to halt the disciplinary measure had been officially submitted to the court. Jin had previously signaled his intention to seek legal recourse on September 3, arguing that the disciplinary process lacked factual backing and proportionality.
“This matter is not an issue of political interpretation or internal party judgment,” Jin stated in his social media announcement reported by Good Morning Chungcheong. He added that he asked the court to examine whether the disciplinary grounds were objectively proven, whether his actions constituted a violation under party rules, and whether a two-year suspension matched the severity of the offense.
The internal ethics panel, led by committee chairman Yoon Min-woo, imposed the two-year suspension on August 20, 2026. Fellow lawmaker Seo Bum-soo received a lighter 10-month suspension for his role in the seminar exchange, where he asked Jin to demonstrate a martial arts kick, prompting Jin to reply that he uses his hands better than his feet. Because the remarks occurred in front of the victim of the Busan assault case, the incident triggered widespread criticism regarding secondary harm.
Internal Party Friction and Disciplinary Disparities
The punitive actions sparked accusations of factional purges within the People Power Party. Critics within and outside the party pointed out that while Jin and Seo faced severe penalties tied to the independent campaign of Han Dong-hun, lawmaker Lee Jin-sook faced no disciplinary measures despite hosting a forum at the National Library associated with New Right groups concerning the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
Party critics and observers argued that leadership under Representative Jang Dong-hyuk utilized the ethics committee to target lawmakers aligned with the pro-Han Dong-hun faction, raising questions about fairness and consistency in the party’s disciplinary standards.