The National Assembly's ethics committee launched a review of motions to discipline four lawmakers either facing corruption allegations or convicted of related charges.

The motions call for disciplinary actions against independent lawmakers Youn Mee-hyang and Lee Sang-jik, both formerly affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party(DP), and main opposition People Power Party(PPP) Reps. Park Duk-hyum and Sung Il-jong.

Earlier this month, a parliamentary ethics advisory panel recommended the expulsions of Youn, Lee and Park for misconduct, while excluding Sung after concluding that the allegations against him don't require disciplinary action.

The move to expel the lawmakers picked up speed this week, after DP Chairman Song Young-gil pledged to swiftly handle the motions while announcing party reforms ahead of the March 9 presidential election.

The DP's sudden push to pass the motions during the February extraordinary session is being met with protests from the PPP, which questions its sincerity behind waiting until now to seek the expulsions.

Once the DP, PPP and minor Justice Party and People's Party submit a list of their representatives to sit on a subcommittee, the ethics committee will form the subpanel for deliberation.

The motions would then require a majority of support from the ethics committee, before being put to a plenary vote. The expulsions require approval from two-thirds of representatives to pass.