(ATTN: UPDATES with launch of disciplinary process; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- The ethics committee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said Monday it has launched a disciplinary process for three lawmakers accused of harming the party in various ways.

In a press release following a plenary session, the committee said it decided to take disciplinary action against six-term Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae for allegedly making phone calls to lawmakers of other parties to try to keep Rep. Park Duk-hyum from being elected as deputy National Assembly speaker.

Rep. Jin Jong-oh, a first-term lawmaker, was reported to the committee for allegedly supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon for a parliamentary seat in the southeastern city of Busan ahead of the June 3 local elections when the PPP had its own candidate.

Rep. Kwon Young-jin, meanwhile, has come under fire for allegedly using violence against PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig while protesting parliamentary committee assignments last week.

The PPP's supreme council agreed earlier in the day to ask Kwon to voluntarily leave the party and seek strong disciplinary action against him, including possible expulsion, if he refuses, according to a party official.

"The party leadership agreed unanimously that this is a serious issue that calls for stern punishment," PPP chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the party's supreme council.

Rep. Kwon was one of several lawmakers who visited Jeong's office on Thursday, taking issue with the party's pick of committee chairs.

He reportedly shouted at Rep. Jeong and grabbed the floor leader by the collar while he was protesting.

Rep. Jeong said he would put the incident behind him and focus on carrying out his duties as the floor leader.

"I will put all past grievances behind me and fulfill my responsibilities as the floor leader for the livelihoods of the people and the normalization of the country," he told reporters earlier in the day.

The protest came after the National Assembly elected the chairs of six standing committees allocated to the PPP following a weekslong bipartisan deadlock over the formation of the Assembly's committees.

julesyi@yna.co.kr

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