Ruling Party Opens Emergency Committee System... Seo Byung-su Says "If Emergency Committee System Is Established, Lee Jun-seok Cannot Return as Party Leader" (Comprehensive)

Seo Byung-su, Chairman of the Standing National Committee of the People Power Party, is seated at the 4th Standing National Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Kwon Hyun-ji] The Standing National Committee of the People Power Party on the 5th defined the current situation as an "emergency situation" through the interpretation of the party constitution and regulations, and proposed the launch of an Emergency Response Committee to the National Committee. Seo Byung-soo, the National Chairman of the People Power Party, stated that if the Emergency Response Committee is launched, the return of Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, will be impossible.

The Standing National Committee of the People Power Party held a meeting at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the same day and announced, "We judged that the current situation the party is facing corresponds to an emergency situation, and resolved to amend the party constitution to allow the acting party leader to appoint the Emergency Response Committee chairman, and decided to hold a National Committee meeting on the 9th to approve this."

Seo Byung-su, Chairman of the Standing National Committee of the People Power Party, is delivering a greeting at the 4th Standing National Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Immediately after the Standing National Committee's resolution, Chairman Seo explained to reporters regarding the Supreme Council proposal to grant the acting party leader the authority to appoint the Emergency Response Committee chairman, that "40 members attended, 4 abstained, and 26 voted in favor" in a secret ballot. The amendment proposed by lawmakers Cho Hae-jin and Ha Tae-kyung, which included provisions to keep open the possibility of Lee's return, was rejected with only 10 attendees.

Regarding the proposal to define the current situation as an emergency situation, 29 members voted in favor, enabling the launch of the Emergency Response Committee. The reason for judging the current situation as an emergency was explained as the "loss of function of the Supreme Council."

Accordingly, on the 9th, the People Power Party will conduct a vote on the amendment of the party constitution via ARS telephone voting.

Chairman Seo said, "Lee (Jun-seok) cannot return as party leader after the suspension of party membership ends." He added, "According to the party constitution and regulations, once the Emergency Response Committee is formed, the Supreme Council leadership is immediately dissolved. There is also a clause stating that the Emergency Response Committee chairman holds the authority of the party leader," and emphasized, "This is regardless of whether the current leader is incapacitated or not."

However, lawmaker Cho Hae-jin of the People Power Party responded to a question about whether Lee was dismissed by saying, "It is a situation that cannot be concluded definitively," and added, "It was decided to discuss later whether the party leader position disappears as an effect of the Emergency Response Committee's launch." This means that it has not yet been concluded whether Lee's return to the party leadership is impossible due to the launch of the Emergency Response Committee.