No Jae-seung's Personnel Selection Risk Troubles... Cracks in the Opposition Election Committee

Controversy Over Inappropriate Remarks by Youth Representative Chairman
Leadership Conflict Rumors Being Resolved

No Jae-seung, Co-Chairman of the People Power Party Election Countermeasures Committee. (Photo by YouTube channel 'Oh Se-hoon TV' capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] The People Power Party's election campaign committee is struggling daily with personnel issues. Although past inappropriate remarks by co-chairman Noh Jae-seung have sparked controversy, it is difficult to take back the 'opportunity given to the youth,' so the committee has yet to come up with a sharp solution and seems to be waiting for the critical public opinion to subside.

However, the rumored discord between General Campaign Chairman Kim Jong-in and Standing Campaign Chairman Kim Byung-joon, as well as the conflict between Party Leader Lee Jun-seok and Co-Campaign Chairman Lee Soo-jung, which had remained as unresolved issues, are being quickly reconciled.

Lee Yang-su, the senior spokesperson of the campaign committee, told reporters after the committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th that regarding Co-Chairman Noh's position, "It is a matter of ethics to leave the judgment to him." Although there have been talks of voluntary resignation or forced dismissal, the campaign committee intends to rely solely on the individual's decision.

Lee explained, "In the cases of former lawmaker Kim Sung-tae and dermatologist Ham Ik-byeong, as members of the older generation, they had to take responsibility for their words and actions at the time, so quick handling was possible. However, since Co-Chairman Noh is a young person, it seems wiser to consider the matter more carefully rather than rushing to a decision."

This attitude appears related to the fact that Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, has focused on recruiting young talents to capture the 2030 generation, and Party Leader Lee also mentioned, "The perspective of the younger generation will change depending on how many opportunities we give to the young generation and how much we have yielded positions to them." Secretary-General Kwon Seong-dong also said, "He still has a bright future ahead, and since he admitted his past remarks were wrong, let's watch for a while," adding, "If we observe for a few days, the answer will come out, so I think there is no need to make a hasty decision."

As controversies over qualifications related to personnel appointments have continuously emerged, the campaign committee has announced plans to focus more on verification. Since the committee is almost complete, additional appointments will be handled by the Talent Recruitment Committee. Senior spokesperson Lee said, "From now on, the Talent Recruitment Committee will conduct separate verification procedures to prevent such incidents."

As the 'Noh Jae-seung risk' grows, the campaign committee is also striving to quickly resolve other personnel conflicts to prevent 'issues from creating a negative synergy effect.' These are the so-called 'Kim-Kim discord' (Kim Jong-in and Kim Byung-joon) and 'Lee-Lee conflict' (Lee Jun-seok and Lee Soo-jung). On the same day, Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won appeared on MBC radio and said, "It may seem that the directions pursued by General Campaign Chairman Kim and Standing Campaign Chairman Kim are different, but their fields are different," and drew a line by saying, "There is little possibility of territorial disputes or conflicts between the two."

Co-Campaign Chairman Lee Soo-jung, who is evaluated to hold a different perspective from Party Leader Lee Jun-seok on 'gender issues,' also appeared on KBS radio and said, "Misunderstandings can arise between people who have never met, but I believe they can be resolved," and praised Lee by saying, "After meeting and shaking hands, he is a hearty young man."