Se Byung-soo: "The New Floor Leader Should Act as Interim... No Nationwide Committee Meeting for Emergency Committee" (Comprehensive)

Seo Byung-su, Chairman of the People Power Party National Committee, is attending the video members' general meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Seo Byung-soo, a member of the People Power Party (PPP) and chairman of the party's National Committee, stated on the 29th that "we must respect the court's decision" and expressed his intention not to comply with the party's demand to convene the National Committee for the launch of a new Emergency Response Committee. He also urged Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong to resign and demanded a meeting with former party leader Lee Jun-seok.

Seo said at the National Assembly's communication office in the afternoon, "The People Power Party's identity is rooted in a tradition of following laws and principles and respecting that spirit. It is neither fair nor reasonable to easily overturn laws and principles."

Following the court's injunction invalidating the existing Emergency Response Committee, the PPP had announced its intention to resolve the issue by amending the party's constitution and regulations to establish a new Emergency Response Committee. To form a new committee, both the Standing National Committee and the National Committee must be convened twice. According to the PPP's constitution and regulations, the conditions for convening the Standing National Committee are ▲ direct convening by the chairman ▲ resolution by the Supreme Council to convene ▲ and a demand for convening by at least one-quarter of the Standing National Committee members.

Seo said, "Even if one-quarter demand a meeting, if I do not convene it, the party leader has the authority to convene it. However, since there is currently no party leader and only an acting leader, I cannot clearly say whether the Standing National Committee and National Committee will be held or not."

He added, "The correct answer is to elect a new floor leader and proceed with the acting party leader system under the floor leader. Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong should step down to the second line, and the new floor leader should lead the acting leader system."

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-ju doso7@

Regarding the process of electing a new floor leader, Seo explained, "It only requires consensus among members at the members' meeting," and "the (already resigned) Supreme Council members can be supplemented within 30 days at the National Committee."

Regarding the convening of the National Committee, Seo reportedly spoke several times with Floor Leader Kwon on the day. Kwon said, "If it is decided at the members' meeting, even if it differs from our intention, shouldn't we comply?" but Seo maintained his stance that "we must not make mistakes twice."

He said, "The members' meeting is a decision-making body for policy coordination with the opposition, bill and budget processing, and policy issues, but does it really have the authority to decide on matters such as the Emergency Response Committee or party leadership as it is now? The leadership system can be decided through the Standing National Committee, National Committee, and the party convention."

With Seo, the chairman of the National Committee, blocking the convening of the National Committee, the current PPP leadership's plan to form a new Emergency Response Committee is inevitably facing setbacks.

Seo also stated this on his Facebook. He said, "At first, I thought that even if there were defects in the current party constitution and regulations, if the Standing National Committee defined it as an emergency situation and properly followed the procedures according to the constitution and regulations to appoint the Emergency Response Committee chairman, those defects could be resolved. But now, the court has ruled that 'this is not an emergency situation' and that the election of the Emergency Response Committee chairman is invalid."

He emphasized, "Naturally, the Emergency Response Committee does not exist either. We cannot go through the same procedures and processes again to reach the same conclusion."

Seo also urged reconciliation between the 'Yunhakkwan' faction that caused this situation and former leader Lee's side. Seo said, "Floor Leader Kwon may feel unfair, but he must step down. That is the will of the people," and advised, "I recommend the key figures of the current government, including Floor Leader Kwon, to meet former leader Lee."

To former leader Lee, he said, "Please refrain from making statements that harm the party and the president any further. Although you may feel unfair, the public does not favor your words and actions," and questioned, "Shouldn't we join hands for the success of the Yoon Seok-yeol government and the future of the party?"

Meanwhile, on the same day, the People Power Party held an Emergency Response Committee meeting for the first time since the court's injunction and decided to complete the formation of the new Emergency Response Committee before Chuseok. In this regard, Lee's legal team announced on the 29th that they plan to file an additional injunction at the Seoul Southern District Court to halt the activities of the invalid Emergency Response Committee.