Gwangju-bound New Opposition Lawmakers Begin 'Expanding Networks'

Voices Calling for Party Reform Every Day and Challenging Party Leadership

Kim Woong, Member of the People Power Party. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] On the 10th, first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party will visit the Gwangju 5·18 Democratic Cemetery. Since the April 7 by-elections, these first-term lawmakers, who have emerged as a driving force for change along with calls for party reform, appear to be expanding their influence.

On this day, nine first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party, including Kim Mi-ae, Kim Hyung-dong, Park Hyung-soo, and Seo Jeong-sook, along with emergency committee member Kim Jae-seop, will visit the Gwangju 5·18 Democratic Cemetery to pay their respects, followed by visits to the former Jeonnam Provincial Office and the National Asia Culture Center located in Dong-gu, Gwangju.

On the 7th, the new leadership of both ruling and opposition parties visited Gwangju as their first regional schedule, paying respects at the 5·18 Democratic Cemetery and focusing on courting Honam. The fact that even first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party visited this site is interpreted as a political move in consideration of the party convention scheduled in about a month and next year’s presidential election.

On the morning of the 7th, Kim Ki-hyun, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is paying respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, along with party officials. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 6th, first-term lawmakers held a press conference at the National Assembly to explain the significance of their visit to Gwangju and emphasized 'accompanying Honam.' On this day, lawmaker Cho Tae-yong stated, "I hope that harmony and accompaniment with Honam will take root in the People Power Party, so that when people think of the party, they get the image that 'Ah, this party accompanies Honam.'" Lawmaker Kim Hyung-dong also expressed his aspirations, saying, "We previously declared that we would practice accompanying Honam and the underprivileged, as proposed by former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in. We will show the image of first-term lawmakers who carry out these actions one by one."

The number of first-term lawmakers in the People Power Party is 56 out of 101 seats in the National Assembly, accounting for more than half, leading to evaluations that they have recently emerged as a major group within the party. In particular, immediately after the April 7 by-elections, they raised their voices by declaring in a joint statement, "We will not be intoxicated by victory but will reform the party. We will boldly discard the old conservative shell and become the main agents of change who take the lead in solving the problems of the times." Additionally, in the recent floor leader election, all four candidates made pledges to court first-term lawmakers.

Ahead of the party convention scheduled for early next month, first-term lawmakers are continuously increasing their presence both inside and outside the party. Some first-term lawmakers, including Kim Woong, who has expressed his intention to run for party leader, are reportedly considering candidacy. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 7th, Kim criticized senior party members, saying, "When I see the way senior members compete for party leadership, they are skillful and good at framing. Our determination as first-term lawmakers to change the party is firm."