SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday decided to suspend the membership rights of four incumbent lawmakers, effectively barring three of them from running in the 2028 general elections.

The PPP's ethics committee handed down the disciplinary measures, suspending Rep. Cho Kyung-tae's party membership rights for 2 1/2 years. Reps Jin Jong-oh, Kwon Young-jin and Suh Bum-soo had their rights suspended for two years, 1 1/2 years and six months, respectively.

Without being able to run on the PPP ticket, Cho, Jin and Kwon are essentially barred from seeking election in the April 2028 general elections.

All four are known to be at odds with PPP leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok.

Cho was accused of making phone calls to lawmakers from other parties in an attempt to prevent Rep. Park Duk-hyum of the PPP from being elected deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

Kwon was separately accused of grabbing PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig by the collar while protesting parliamentary committee assignments last month.

Meanwhile, Jin was punished for supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon in his campaign for a parliamentary seat in the southeastern city of Busan ahead of the June 3 local elections, despite the PPP running its own candidate in the district.

Suh was punished after he told Jin to do a "spin kick" ahead of a meeting with a female victim in a high-profile assault case in which a man hit her with a spinning kick.

colin@yna.co.kr

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