Joo Ho-young Dismisses Early Party Convention Possibility... "Multiple Contacts with Lee Jun-seok"

"What's the point of a BOD? Just form an Election Commission," response
Speeding up the appointment process for BOD members
"If the goal is a party convention by January next year, it's self-politics"
Expressed intention to contact Lee Jun-seok regarding injunction request

Representative Joo Ho-young, elected as the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is arriving at the National Assembly representative office on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Hyunju Lee, Boryeong Geum, Hyunji Kwon] Joo Ho-young, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, announced on the 10th that he has officially begun the process of appointing members to the Emergency Response Committee (ERC) and plans to launch the ERC quickly. Regarding his willingness to meet with former party leader Lee Jun-seok, who filed an injunction to suspend the ERC’s effectiveness, he said, "We are making efforts to contact him from various angles," adding, "It will only happen if Lee’s side decides to meet."

On the day after his inauguration, Chairman Joo told reporters on his first day at the party’s ERC chairman office, "Recommendations are coming in, and I plan to focus on that today," and added, "I will concentrate on appointing ERC members and the secretariat."

The ERC, consisting of nine members, will appoint six new members excluding the three ex officio members: Chairman Joo, floor leader Kwon Seong-dong, and policy committee chairman Seong Il-jong. Among these, 2 to 3 external figures are expected to be included. He said, "We are looking at people who can help with innovation or change overall and will select from among them," adding, "If necessary, we will invite one or two women."

On the day the ERC was launched, former leader Lee responded by filing an injunction to suspend its effectiveness. Lee plans to file the injunction with the Seoul Southern District Court regarding the validity of the National Committee’s resolution during the ERC transition process. A representative from Lee’s side said in a phone call, "We will file electronically today."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

If the injunction is accepted, the legitimacy of the ERC transition will collapse, causing significant damage to the party. The fate of the ERC, which was established by even amending the party constitution, could be jeopardized by a legal ruling.

For this reason, Chairman Joo also sees meeting with former leader Lee as an urgent task. When asked if he is in contact with Lee, Joo said, "We are making efforts to contact him from various angles." This indicates his intention to resolve the issue politically rather than legally, but he also implied that the meeting would not be easy as it depends on Lee’s willingness.

As Lee pushes forward with the injunction, he is becoming increasingly isolated. Park Min-young, a spokesperson for the People Power Party considered one of ‘Lee Jun-seok’s kids,’ announced that she will start working as a youth spokesperson at the Yongsan Presidential Office from next week. She added, "I want to support state affairs by speaking frankly right beside the president."

Within the party, the consensus is to resolve the issue politically rather than through judicial means. Policy Committee Chairman Seong Il-jong said on a radio program that day, "Political actions of a party are not judged solely by legal standards in court," adding, "I think relatively political judgments will be respected."

Former Supreme Council member Kim Yong-tae, who prepared but decided not to file an injunction, said in a phone call, "I thought it might be possible to resign after the injunction is accepted, but I considered the chaos that would follow and whether it would really benefit the party," adding, "I think it should be resolved politically and evaluated through elections."

Chairman Joo also dismissed calls within the party for an early party convention, saying, "Then what’s the point of having an ERC?" and "They can just form an election management committee." Since he defined the ERC as an ‘innovation-type management ERC,’ he seems to be leaning toward the possibility of a party convention early next year at the earliest.

There are also interpretations that Chairman Joo is trying to engage in ‘self-politics’ through the ERC system. Um Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, said, "If the president’s and party’s approval ratings do not recover through the ERC, it will be hard to say the ERC succeeded," adding, "Already, Chairman Joo seems to be completely ignoring talks of an early party convention and aiming for a convention in January next year. It looks like he is trying to do self-politics."