Assemblywoman Kim Eun-hye Officially Declares Bid for Party Leadership on the 14th
'Old vs. New' Rivalry Continues
On the 4th, a meeting of the People Power Party members was held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] As the number of candidates challenging for the People Power Party leadership exceeds 10, tensions are also intensifying. In particular, the power struggle between senior and first-term members is fierce.
On the morning of the 14th, Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party officially announced her candidacy for the party leader election in front of the Blue House fountain. With Rep. Kim joining, the number of candidates reached 11.
As the number of leadership candidates exceeds 10, candidates are showing strong awareness of each other. On this day, Rep. Cho Kyung-tae appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and became upset when the host mistakenly called him Rep. Cho Hae-jin, saying, "You shouldn't conduct the show like that," and "How can you confuse us?" Both 5-term Rep. Cho Kyung-tae and 3-term Rep. Cho Hae-jin are included among the party leader candidates.
In particular, the power struggle between senior members and 'first-term and young blood' continues daily. A representative case is the verbal dispute between Rep. Joo Ho-young, classified as a leading leadership candidate, and former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok over 'experience and age.'
While there are many people aiming for the party leader position, the Supreme Council member seats are being overlooked. As of this day, those who have expressed their intention to run for the Supreme Council member election include Rep. Bae Hyun-jin, former Future United Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) Deputy Head of Organization Won Young-seop, and Cheon Gang-jeong, Chairman of the Dental Doctor Networking Committee of the People Power Party Gyeonggi Province Party. A People Power Party official said, "There are not many people who have stepped forward to become Supreme Council members yet, so we are worried about the party's future."
The overall atmosphere within the party is also seen as evidence that the 'People Power Party Asari Pan' mentioned by former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in is becoming a reality. Um Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, analyzed, "Chairman Kim's words seem to be coming true," adding, "Since there is a leadership vacuum without an owner, many people believe that if they seize the party leadership, their political future will brighten, which has led to this situation."
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