Seoul Korea - The minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP) was disbanded by the Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday.
This is the first time a political party has disbanded by the Constitutional Court since the country adopted its first constitution in 1948. The eight of the nine justices judged disbanding the UPP with the ruling taking effect immediately.
The UPP is no longer exists as a political entity and all five sitting lawmakers Kim Mi-hyui, Kim Jae-yeon, Lee Sang-kyu, Lee Seok-ki and Oh Byung-yun of the party also lost their status as members of the parliament. Chief justice Park Han-cheol said the court came to the conclusion that the UPP's principles and activities were in violation of the basic democratic order of Republic of Korea.
The UPP constitution states that a progressive democratic society truly owned by the people should be established but the justice argued that the expression is effectively the same as an article of North Korea's constitution that states "sovereignty is with the workers, farmers and all working people."
Meanwhile, the ruling may influence the ongoing trial of Rep. Lee Seok-ki at the Supreme Court. A Seoul appeals court judged him guilty of inciting the members to stage a rebellion and commuted his prison term from 12 to nine years with the charges of the rebellion plot.
By Yeon Choul-woong
