Ruling party suspends defector-lawmaker Tae Yong-ho for 3 months over scandals

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Ruling party suspends defector-lawmaker Tae Yong-ho for 3 months over scandals

Decision allows former North Korean diplomat to stand in 2024 election despite series of controversial comments

Jeongmin Kim May 11, 2023

Ruling party suspends defector-lawmaker Tae Yong-ho for 3 months over scandals

Lawmaker Tae Yong-ho on the campaign trail in 2020 | Image: Tae's official Facebook page

South Korea’s ruling party suspended the membership rights of Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat turned ROK congressman, for three months on Wednesday over a series of controversies.

But the relatively short punishment keeps alive the high-profile defector’s political career, expiring well in advance of the next parliamentary election in April 2024.

About the Author

Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim is the Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at KOREA PRO, based in Seoul. Kim covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau. Follow her on Twitter @jeongminnkim

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