"Playing Around," "We're More Anxious"... Bitter Criticism Erupts Within People Power Party Over Lee Jun-seok and Bae Hyun-jin Conflict

Heated Debate Over Organizing Committee Chair Application
Hong Jun-pyo: "Supreme Council Members Are Not Competitors to the Party Leader"

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, is rejecting the handshake offered by Bae Hyun-jin, a Supreme Council member, as he attends the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Bitter criticism continues to emerge within the People Power Party regarding the ongoing conflict between Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, and Bae Hyun-jin, the Supreme Council member.

Earlier, on the morning of the 23rd, during a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Lee displayed a cynical attitude by pulling away his hand when Bae extended hers for a handshake. In response, Bae tapped Lee's shoulder with her palm as she returned to her seat.

The two clashed during a closed Supreme Council meeting that day, exchanging heated words over the 'Recruitment of Organizational Chairpersons' for 48 vacant electoral districts following the June 1 local elections and the 'Innovation Committee,' causing tensions to flare.

Bae expressed concern over the ongoing recruitment process for organizational chairpersons, saying, "Issues regarding the nomination for the general election are already arising related to the party branches, which could be perceived as internal party strife." Lee countered, "We are simply filling vacant positions. The appointment of organizational chairpersons and nominations are separate matters."

In response, Bae raised her voice, saying, "If you are speaking for the party, sometimes the leader should listen." Lee retorted, "Are you criticizing me without basis?"

Ultimately, Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong intervened, saying, "Let's end the meeting," and the closed session reportedly concluded after about 15 minutes.

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor-elect of Daegu.
Photo by Yonhap News

On the 24th, Hong Joon-pyo, the elected mayor of Daegu, responded "They are just playing around" when a netizen posted a video of the conflict on his communication channel 'Youth's Dream' and asked for his opinion.

Earlier, when the conflict first surfaced, he had pointed out, "Supreme Council members are not in competition with the party leader," adding, "Such behavior may be acceptable in closed meetings but should not occur in public meetings."

Additionally, Jeong Mi-kyung, another Supreme Council member who attended the same meeting, expressed on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 24th, "Everyone is worried because of this (the conflict between Lee and Bae), and we are apologizing. Those of us nearby are so anxious we can barely live."

Regarding the core issue of the conflict between the two, Jeong said, "Honestly, I don't really know either," but added, "Ultimately, it is related to the Ethics Committee, and on one side, there is a perception that 'Lee is being ousted,' turning it into a three-way fight. (Other Supreme Council members) have said this should not happen. We are discussing it a lot behind the scenes."