After twists and turns with Yeo, the Jeong Jin-seok administration... Mountains the 'Jeong Jin-seok Emergency Committee' must overcome

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Jeong Jin-seok, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly who has been nominated as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is arriving at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] The People Power Party's 'Jeong Jin-seok Emergency Response Committee System' has been launched. On the 7th, the People Power Party held a party meeting and approved Representative Jeong as the new emergency response committee chairman, followed by the completion of the national committee's resolution on the 8th. Representative Jeong, the most senior member of the People Power Party with five terms, is highly regarded for his extensive experience in party and government roles, including serving as the Blue House political secretary and the ruling party floor leader.

There were many twists and turns before Representative Jeong was decided as the emergency response committee chairman. Initially, it was speculated that Representative Joo Ho-young, whose duties as emergency response committee chairman were suspended by a court injunction on the 26th of last month, would continue in the position. However, Representative Joo declined the role, saying, "It is better to put new wine in new wineskins." Subsequently, former National Assembly Vice Speaker Park Joo-sun and former Liberty Korea Party emergency response committee chairman Kim Byung-joon, among other outside figures, were mentioned as candidates but reportedly all declined the offer. Representative Jeong also refused the position several times but stated, "In a situation with no other options, I could not just leisurely stay in the background."

Representative Jeong is considered a leading pro-Yoon figure who has been with President Yoon from his first political participation declaration. As a result, efforts to show the party's reform image by 'Yoon core members stepping back to the second line' were seen as ineffective. On the 8th, Cheon Ha-ram, a People Power Party innovation committee member, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "They tried to appoint people who did not appear too pro-Yoon but ended up going full circle to Vice Chairman Jeong," revealing the limitations of the pro-Yoon talent pool.

There are concerns that the relationship between the party and former leader Lee Jun-seok may worsen as Representative Jeong, who had clashed with Lee, becomes the emergency response committee chairman. After the local elections in June, Representative Jeong and former leader Lee exchanged sharp criticisms over Lee's trip to Ukraine, bringing internal party conflicts to the surface. On the 7th, People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae criticized on TBS Radio's 'Shin Jang-sik's New Opening,' calling it "a very inappropriate appointment for unification." However, on the other hand, there are expectations that Representative Jeong, who has experience mediating conflicts between pro-Park and non-Park factions as the former Saenuri Party floor leader, will help heal internal party conflicts. In fact, Representative Jeong is known as a politician who has aimed for moderate unification.

Meanwhile, there are also criticisms regarding a conflict of interest as Representative Jeong, the current National Assembly Vice Speaker, concurrently serves as the ruling party's emergency response committee chairman. On the 8th, Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon wrote on his Facebook, "The plenary session hall has long become the frontline of political strife," arguing that Representative Jeong should give up one of the two positions. Former People Power Party standing deputy spokesperson Shin In-kyu criticized the People Power Party the day before, saying it has no right to criticize Democratic Party Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae's concurrent role as chair of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. However, on the 7th, Floor Leader Kwon said, "There are no restrictions on qualifications for the emergency response committee chairman in the party constitution and regulations," adding, "Since Vice Chairman Jeong's term is until December, I believe an appropriate judgment will be made." In the past, former National Assembly Vice Speakers Jeong Ui-hwa and Park Joo-sun concurrently served as emergency response committee chairmen of the Grand National Party and Bareunmirae Party, respectively.

The 'Jeong Jin-seok Emergency Response Committee' faces many challenges. First, the outcome of the court's injunction hearing scheduled for the 14th is a primary variable. If the court again invalidates the emergency response committee, it is predicted that party confusion will become uncontrollable. The fact that former leader Lee's side is considering filing an additional injunction against the new emergency response committee chairman and members remains a variable. After the announcement of the new emergency response committee chairman, former leader Lee posted on his Facebook, "Human greed is endless and repeats the same mistakes," and "That person is crazy about money (power)," among other posts, openly showing discomfort with the new emergency response committee composition.