People Power Party Changing Party Constitution, Accelerating Transition to Emergency Committee

Acting Party Leader Also Appointed as Emergency Committee Chair... National Committee Holds ARS Vote
Transition to Emergency Committee Begins... Afternoon Assembly Expected to Nominate 5-Term Lawmaker Ju Ho-Young

Seo Byung-su, Chairman of the People Power Party National Committee, is attending the National Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th and declaring the opening. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Hyunju Lee and Boryeong Geum] On the 9th, the People Power Party held a national committee meeting and voted on a party constitution amendment allowing the acting party leader to appoint an emergency response committee chairperson. This marked the official start of the procedure to transition to an emergency response committee system. The People Power Party plans to hold a members' meeting and a national committee meeting consecutively in the afternoon to finalize the appointment of the emergency response committee chairperson. It has been reported that five-term lawmaker Joo Ho-young has been nominated as the emergency response committee chairperson. Once the emergency response committee is established, party leader Lee Jun-seok will be automatically dismissed, and the emergency response committee chairperson will take over party affairs. However, debates are expected regarding not only the nature of the emergency response committee but also how many pro-Yoon faction members will be included in the committee formed through the standing national committee.

At 9:30 a.m. on the same day, the People Power Party conducted an ARS vote on the party constitution amendment allowing the acting party leader to appoint the emergency response committee chairperson. Seo Byung-soo, the chairperson of the national committee, declared at the opening of the meeting, "As the ruling party, we have prepared this through proper procedures according to party rules to support the stable governance of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," emphasizing that "the election of new leadership is the core task."

If the party constitution amendment passes, a members' meeting will be held via video conference at 2 p.m. to appoint the emergency response committee chairperson. After the appointment, the national committee will finalize the appointment agenda through a second ARS vote.

The standing national committee for forming the emergency response committee is also expected to be held soon. After the national committee meeting, Seo told reporters, "The emergency response committee chairperson and the floor leader will consult," adding, "It could be decided today or tomorrow."

Once the national committee voting procedures are completed, the People Power Party will transition back to an emergency response committee system for the first time in one year and two months since the 'Kim Jong-in emergency response committee' following the 21st general election defeat. However, it faces several major issues, including the activity period, personnel composition, preparation for the next party convention, and legal responses from Lee Jun-seok. If the management-type emergency response committee lasts two months and the innovation-type emergency response committee continues until the party convention, a compromise between the two is currently likely.

There is also interest in how many members will compose the emergency response committee and whether so-called 'Yunhaekgwan' (key associates of President Yoon Seok-yeol) will participate. In particular, there are claims that floor leader Kwon Seong-dong should be excluded from the emergency response committee as an ex officio member. A senior lawmaker said, "Since floor leader Kwon bears some responsibility for issues such as the leak of text messages with President Yoon, he should not participate in the emergency response committee," adding, "Yunhaekgwan should stay away from party affairs."

Legal responses such as provisional injunction applications from Lee Jun-seok’s side, who will be dismissed by the appointment of the emergency response committee chairperson, are also drawing attention as to whether they will actually proceed. Kim Yong-tae, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said in a radio interview that "it is true that legal advice has been sought regarding this," but "no final decision has been made yet."

Regarding this, Seo said, "Lee is also a politician, and I once again ask him to refrain from provisional injunction applications or legal responses for the sake of his political career going forward," adding, "I hope he adopts an attitude of putting the party first and himself second."