Expulsion of Kim Byung-kee must not become a case of scapegoating

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Expulsion of Kim Byung-kee must not become a case of scapegoating

Published: 14 Jan. 2026, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party, who faces allegations including the receipt of illicit nomination donations, leaves the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, after completing his explanation at a meeting of the party’s ethics committee on Jan. 12. The committee voted late that night to expel him. [YONHAP]

The ethics committee of the Democratic Party decided on Jan. 12 to expel former floor leader Kim Byung-kee from the party. Committee chair Han Dong-soo said the decision reflected the gravity of the case. While additional procedures remain, including approval by the party’s supreme council, a senior lawmaker who until two weeks ago represented ruling party lawmakers in the National Assembly has now received the harshest possible punishment.

For a ruling party, the episode amounts to a political disaster, making it difficult to face the public or its own supporters. Particularly damaging is that the corruption allegations against Kim are tied to candidate nominations, a core pillar of party democracy. Kim served as secretary of the nomination committee ahead of the 2022 local elections. Kang Sun-woo, who reportedly informed Kim of an illicit nomination donation of 100 million won (around $68,000) and pleaded for help, was herself a member of that committee.

Even partial evidence of these allegations would lead a reasonable observer to conclude that serious flaws existed in the party’s system. Yet party leaders continue to describe the case as “human error” or “individual misconduct,” raising doubts about whether there is genuine resolve to root out nomination-related corruption.

In this crisis, the first task facing newly appointed floor leader Han Byung-do is to diagnose why the leadership’s judgment appears so detached from common sense. Only then can meaningful prescriptions be devised to correct systemic failures. It was also uncomfortable to watch the party publicly urge Kim to resign voluntarily before the expulsion, only for him to resist. A senior party spokesperson framed such demands as expressions of party loyalty. Given that the party expelled Kim only after Kang had already left, the call for voluntary resignation looks less like principle than an attempt to minimize political damage.

It is also fair to ask whether the resignation and expulsion alone deliver meaningful accountability. In August last year, former National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair Lee Choon-suak resigned and was expelled after revelations of proxy stock trading in a staffer’s name. Allegations that he used AI policy information to trade stocks fueled public anger, yet the party again reduced the matter to individual misconduct. Recent reports that prosecutors requested supplementary investigations due to inadequate police work have only reinforced perceptions of superficial accountability.

Similar concerns surround the current investigation. Critics say travel bans on Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung and searches of Kang’s offices came far too late. Opposition calls for a special prosecutor to investigate nomination donations are therefore not without merit.

Han has said a full review of nomination-related allegations is needed to demonstrate resolve. Kim’s expulsion should be the beginning, not the end, of accountability. What is now required is not rhetoric, but action.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.