A Seoul court began reviewing injunction requests issued by former ruling People Power Party(PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok seeking to suspend the party’s interim leadership under Rep. Chung Jin-suk.

The Seoul Southern District Court started the review of suspensions for Chung and six emergency steering committee members at around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday with opening statements from each side before requesting further explanations.

Of the four injunctions under review, the most critical from the perspective of both sides is related to the legitimacy of the PPP national committee’s revisions to party regulations on what constitutes an “emergency situation.”

Lee argues that the incapacitation of the party Supreme Council under his leadership and the subsequent launch of an interim steering committee infringe on party democracy guaranteed by the Constitution, as well as the principle of equality.

The ousted leader, whose party membership was suspended in July over allegations of a cover-up related to sexual bribery, claims that he has the right to return as the party leader in January 2023.

Last month, the same court effectively accepted a similar injunction sought by Lee and suspended the leader of the previous emergency committee, five-term Rep. Joo Ho-young, after which the national committee made the revisions now under scrutiny.