Kim Hyung - joon The author is a professor of political science at Myongji University . Intoxicated by power , the ruling Democratic Party ( DP ) is walking on a dangerous path . Keum Tae - sup , a former lawmaker of the DP , recently faced punishment from the party ’ s ethics tribunal for having abstained from a party - line vote to approve a contentious bill establishing a new investigation agency for senior public servants . DP Chairman Lee Hae - chan defended the decision , stubbornly insisting that the party line must be respected at all cost . The DP ’ s decision to punish a lawmaker for acting based on his beliefs shows that the party has given up on being a democratic party . Most of all , it is a dictatorship to infringe on the belief and conscience of a lawmaker . The Constitution ’ s Article 46 states , “ Members of the National Assembly shall give preference to national interests and shall perform their duties in accordance with conscience . ” Clause 2 of Article 114 of the National Assembly Act states , “ Any National Assembly member shall vote according to his or her own conscience as a representative of the nation , without being bound by the intention of a political party to which he or she belongs . ” The National Assembly is a consultative body in which elected representatives with equal power create binding laws governing the society . Enforcing a party - line vote on a lawmaker — an independent constitutional body himself — and punishing him for voting across party lines is against the principles of democracy . On May 31 , 2017 , all Liberty Korea Party ( LKP ) lawmakers walked out from the voting session to protest the motion to name Lee Nak - yon as the prime minister . But Rep . Kim Hyun - ah , an LKP member , remained and voted for him . At the time , the DP praised Kim as a politician with conviction . It is treacherous for the DP to praise another party ’ s lawmaker for voting against the party line , while punishing its lawmaker for the same . By penalizing Keum , the DP violated its own identity and philosophy . The DP always argues that it upholds the philosophy of late President Kim Dae - jung . The National Assembly ’ s clause mandating a free vote was introduced in 2002 by the DP ’ s predecessor , the Millennium Democratic Party , during the Kim administration . It was introduced to end the practice that the lawmakers are working as a rubber - stamp organ of their party . Ahead of the December 2012 presidential election , then candidate Moon Jae - in pledged that he will refrain from enforcing a party - line vote and allow democratic decision - making inside a party . The DP ’ s constitution and regulations do not say that voting against a party line is a reason for punishment . The DP ’ s manifesto says it will reflect diversity and realize a party democracy . Punishing Keum is a bad action oblivious of Kim Dae - jung ’ s philosophy , ignoring Moon ’ s idea of political reform , and violating the party ’ s constitution and regulations . As we have seen in the past , the National Assembly is destined to face a paralysis when the party lines of the ruling and opposition parties clash over a sensitive political issue . The legislature often turned into a circus . When a ruling party with an overwhelming majority becomes obsessed with a party - line vote , the tradition of self - restraint — and mutual respect — will be destroyed and the parliamentary democracy will collapse . In order to escape from the temptation of a parliamentary dictatorship and prove itself as a democratic party , the DP must withdraw its punishment of Keum . Forcing lawmakers to vote in line with a party line is a wrong practice , and it is an evil that must be eradicated . When you leave window cracked open , you invite crime . Likewise , a small problem , if left unattended , evolves to a bigger problem . If the DP maintains its punishment against Keum , beliefs and conscience will disappear from the party . It will be a prelude to a gloomy future of the National Assembly where oppressions and punishments will dominate . The National Assembly will not have a future if lawmakers start pleasing their party leaderships with votes instead of voting their beliefs and conscience . When more lawmakers show the courage to vote based on their beliefs and conviction , the 21 st National Assembly will become a legislature of cooperative politics that actually works . Lawmakers must take this opportunity to think about who they represent and how they represent them . Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff .