ULD expels opponent of new ruling coalition

Rep. Kang Chang-Hee was expelled from the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) for his opposition to the defection to the ULD of three ruling party lawmakers, a move that facilitated the ULD's ascension to the status of floor negotiating bloc. The ouster of the ULD vice president was decided Monday at a disciplinary committee meeting chaired by Kwon Hae-Ok.

Party spokesman Byun Wung-Jeon said the unanimous decision on the dismissal was taken as a last resort to punish Kang for undercutting the ULD's bid to once again become a negotiating group. Kang had plunged the party into chaos by defaming it as a puppet of the governing party and objecting to its registration as a floor bloc, Byun said.

One shy of the 20 assembly members required to form a negotiating group, the splinter party failed to attain its objective in spite of the addition of the three defectors from the Millennium Democratic Party.