People Power Party: Will the Emergency Committee Step Down and a Freshman-Centered 'Innovation and Reform' Take Its Place?

December 12 Kim Eun-hye Resigns as Emergency Response Committee Spokesperson
First-term Lawmakers' Group Officially Begins Activities

Kim Eun-hye, former spokesperson of the People Power Party Emergency Response Committee [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] As the emergency committee system of the People Power Party comes to an end, a wave of 'innovation' is sweeping through the party. On the 12th, Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson of the emergency committee, announced her resignation, while the party's first-term lawmakers began concrete discussions to select candidates for party leader, floor leader, and other positions for the party convention.

Former spokesperson Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall that morning and stated, "I am giving my final farewell as spokesperson," expressing her intention to resign. She said, "Hearing and receiving the people's hearts conveyed by journalists?the people's will to be weak to the weak and strong to the strong?has been an unforgettable reward for me," adding, "When I enter the local residents and the people to uphold their lives and intentions, I will engrave this teaching anew."

When asked by reporters whether she would run for party leader, she replied, "Not at all," and said, "With former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in having left, I thought I could no longer remain as spokesperson." Kim, a first-term lawmaker, was the first spokesperson appointed when former chairman Kim took office in June last year.

Other first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party will also begin full-scale discussions from this day on selecting candidates for party leader, floor leader, and other positions. In the afternoon, first-term lawmakers plan to hold several small meetings to discuss the consolidation of first-term lawmakers' power and directions for reform.

First-term lawmaker Heo Eun-ah of the People Power Party said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "The core is to change the face of the party," explaining, "Young people are stepping up to innovate the party anew." She added, "Discussions have been ongoing for several months, but it took a long time to ignite this spark," and said, "A decision is expected to be made as early as this week or by next week at the latest."

A staff member from lawmaker Kim Woong's office also said, "There are about 15 to 20 first-term lawmakers who agree that the party should be led by first-term lawmakers," adding, "The task of this discussion is to increase this number to a majority."