Former ruling party floor leader leaves party

Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea speaks at the National Assembly on Monday. (Yonhap)

The embattled former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kim Byung-kee left the party Monday after filing an application to leave.

The move came hours after announcing that he would not request a review of the ethics committee's conclusion that he should be removed from the party.

Before submitting the application, Kim said that he would accept a decision to expel him from the party. But he had stood by his position that he would not leave the party of his own volition, and asked the party’s supreme council to make the final decision to remove him.

The party reviewed the request, but requested Kim to file application to leave as removing a lawmaker requires a vote in a general meeting, according to Jo Seoung-lae, the party's secretary general.

In announcing his decision not to appeal the ethics committee decision earlier Monday, Kim also said that he would fully cooperate with related investigations and “submit all related evidence to prove (my) innocence.”

The party’s ethics committee concluded on Dec. 12 that Kim should be removed from the party after he was accused of corrupt practices, including mishandling alleged bribes when selecting Democratic Party candidates for local elections.

Police, meanwhile, are continuing sweeping investigations into related allegations, including those concerning Kim’s wife.

Kim’s wife is suspected of using official funds allocated to a local district councilor for private purposes between July and October 2022. The police had conducted an internal review into the allegations last year, but closed the case with no charges filed.

However, it has since been alleged that the case was closed due to pressure from a conservative lawmaker acting on behalf of Kim. The conservative lawmaker who allegedly intervened in the investigation is reportedly a former high-ranking police officer.