Conflict Intensifies Within People Power Party Over Yoon, Who Has Not Even Joined the Party...

Yoon Supporter Senior Lawmaker vs Lee Jun-seok Representative
Jung Jin-seok "Unnecessary Pressure" Lee Jun-seok "Will Proceed Without Wavering"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol stands before supporters along with People Power Party lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong, Jeong Jin-seok, and guests on the afternoon of the 29th at the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, ahead of his presidential election candidacy press conference. 2021.6.29 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party is experiencing internal strife over former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who has not even officially entered the scene yet. The disagreement centers on what kind of relationship the party should establish with Yoon. Some senior lawmakers support Yoon or believe that regime change is only possible with him, while opposing them is Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party. Lee has recently expressed that the party should focus on managing internal candidates, including former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung. In response, senior lawmakers strongly opposed this, arguing that candidates outside the party should not be neglected either.

On the 23rd, five-term People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok wrote on Facebook, "If our party does not protect former Prosecutor General Yoon, who will fight for us?" He pointed out, "It is inappropriate to exert unnecessary pressure on former Prosecutor General Yoon, such as saying support campaigns can only be conducted for internal candidates."

In response, Lee also replied immediately on Facebook, saying, "I will proceed without wavering," addressing Jeong's remarks. Referring to the recent by-election situation, he criticized, "Many party lawmakers blindly followed absurd claims like 'If you run as number 4, you win; if you run as number 2, you lose,'" and added, "The main actors were the party members and citizens who stayed centered and did not get hooked." He pointed out the party atmosphere at the time, which favored Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People Party and an external candidate, and insisted on continuing the ‘Bibimbap theory’ of uniting the strength of internal candidates.

After an emergency meeting with the Supreme Council members on the same day, Lee directly responded to Jeong’s post, saying, "To say that the by-election victory was achieved by former Prosecutor General Yoon is crossing the line," and asked, "Shouldn't senior party members maintain a calm and steady stance?"

Then, lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, who has supported former Prosecutor General Yoon, added a sharp comment toward Lee, saying, "The party leader is not a critic." He rebutted Lee’s claim that many party lawmakers blindly followed during the by-election, arguing, "The majority of lawmakers were solely desperate for the Seoul mayoral election victory for regime change." He further emphasized, "Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jun-seok are a joint destiny," stressing that the party must move forward together with former Prosecutor General Yoon for the party’s victory.