'Yunhaekgwan' Jang Je-won Returns After 100 Days
Likely to Serve as 'Yunshim' Communication Channel Ahead of Party Convention
Lee Jun-seok Starts SNS Remarks on Jeon Jang-yeon and MZ Generation
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The self-proclaimed 'Yun Hae-gwan (Yoon Seok-yeol Core Associate)' Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party, has returned. It has been 100 days since he declared his retreat to the second line, saying he "feels infinite responsibility" amid the provisional injunction turmoil surrounding former leader Lee Jun-seok. As the party convention has been moved up to 'late February to early March,' former leader Lee, who had been lying low after the disciplinary incident and injunction dismissal, has recently appeared in official settings and broken his silence by commenting on party issues through social networking services (SNS).
'Two-top' Criticism and a Glamorous Return... Regaining Presence with 'Official Residence Dinner'
The pro-Yoon faction study group 'National Sympathy,' launched on the 7th, was undoubtedly reminiscent of a party caucus. More than half of the 115 affiliated lawmakers, 65 members, joined the group, and the number of lawmakers attending the first meeting reached 71, including party leadership candidates such as Kim Ki-hyun and Ahn Cheol-soo. Among them, however, Jang's presence stood out. His handshake with Kwon Seong-dong, a pro-Yoon party leadership candidate with whom he had past discord rumors, attracted significant attention, and his direct criticism of floor leader Joo Ho-young, who advocated the 'MZ and metropolitan area representation theory,' and emergency committee chairman Chung Jin-seok escalated into a tense confrontation.
On the following day, the 8th, he was elected as the chairman of the Administrative Safety Committee for the second half of the 21st National Assembly at the National Assembly party caucus. The Administrative Safety Committee oversees the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency, dealing with contentious issues between the ruling and opposition parties such as the Itaewon disaster and the Police Bureau. Furthermore, by agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, he will move to the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee chairman position from May 30 next year, which also handles sharply contested issues such as public broadcasting governance. This means that Jang, who had retreated to the second line, will officially step forward.
Signs of Jang's comeback were detected from last month. Floor leader Joo Ho-young's remark that "ruling party lawmakers are boiling" in response to the incident where presidential office senior officials were dismissed due to 'verbal abuse controversy' triggered a backlash. Jang, who had not expressed clear external positions, began to speak out actively, which was seen as a signal of his return. Subsequently, his presence surged sharply following a dinner at the presidential residence with President Yoon Seok-yeol at the end of last month.
Having succeeded in his comeback, Jang is expected to become a channel conveying 'Yunshim (Yoon's will)' ahead of the party convention scheduled for 'late February to early March.' The next party leader, with a two-year term, will have the authority to exercise nomination rights in the 2024 general election, intensifying the competition between non-pro-Yoon and pro-Yoon party leadership candidates. There are also voices calling for rule revisions to reflect 'party sentiment' more in the convention results, so the direction of Yunshim will inevitably influence the outcome of the party convention.
Lee Jun-seok Increasing SNS Activity... Attentive to 'Prosecutorial Investigation Results'
"Approaching the younger generation should start by eliminating the mysterious term 'MZ generation,' I wrote in my book."
(December 7, Facebook post)
Former leader Lee Jun-seok's SNS activity is increasing. Once known for his active SNS use, with the saying "he never stopped SNS for more than three days," Lee remained silent for 18 days after being sent to prosecution in October. Then, on the 31st of the same month, he broke his silence by proposing safety measures related to the Itaewon disaster.
Ten days later, on the 10th of last month, shortly after the presidential office announced a policy to ban MBC from boarding the presidential aircraft, he indirectly criticized the presidential office, saying, "The simplicity, weight, and difficulty of the two letters 'freedom'." Six days later, on the 16th, he criticized the party over the 'poverty porn' controversy, urging "Let's regain reason."
The long intervals of silence seem to be shortening this month. On the 1st, he refuted an article claiming he was creating a '20s male (Lee Dae-nam) community,' stating, "I have no intention of creating one nor am I creating one," and on the same day, through another post, he revealed, "I have finished writing the book." On the 7th, when controversy arose within the party over the 'MZ and metropolitan area representation,' he sharply criticized the party, and on the 8th, he criticized the party again, saying, "Those who knelt to illegal protests by Jeon Jang-yeon and did PR should take responsibility," in response to Seoul City's decision to 'pass without stopping' during Jeon Jang-yeon's protest.
The resumption of his previously restrained SNS activity is also interpreted as a sign of his return. He had already appeared in an official setting after two months by attending the book launch event of fellow party member Heo Eun-ah on the 28th of last month. While drawing a line on the establishment of an online community, he has already completed writing the book, drawing attention to the extent of the conflict with President Yoon that will be revealed. However, he has already stated on SNS that "exposures will be done at press conferences, not in the book," so it is unlikely to reach the level of a 'revelation war.'
However, for him to officially return to politics, the 'judicial risk' must first be resolved. A source close to Lee said, "Whether it is the book publication or anything else, the prosecutorial investigation results must come out first," adding, "At this point, the timing cannot be fixed."
Even after his expulsion, Lee remains a topic within the party. Although he lost a significant portion of support from 'Lee Dae-nam,' who supported President Yoon in the election, his support from the MZ generation is indispensable for winning the next general election. Shin In-kyu, head of People Power Party's Baroseugi (Straightening Up) faction and a pro-Lee figure, criticized the party on BBS radio for seeking the MZ generation's votes after expelling Lee, saying, "Where is such hypocrisy?" The recent 'MZ and metropolitan area representation' controversy within the ruling party is also analyzed as mainly caused by major People Power Party candidates failing to properly appeal to the MZ generation.
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