'Lee Jun-seok Kids Out'... Ruling Party's Supreme Council Election Also Heated by 'Yoon-sim'

From Youth Supreme Leadership to Fired Up
Jang Ye-chan Announces First Candidacy... Ji Seong-ho Expected
Kim Yong-tae & Cheon Ha-ram "Considering Supreme Council Member"

"I will eliminate the bad habits within the conservative camp, like internal shooting, and create a culture where sacrifice and dedication are recognized."

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] On the 5th at the National Assembly Communication Office, Jang Ye-chan, chairman of the Youth Foundation, declared his candidacy for the People Power Party's youth supreme council member. Chairman Jang, who served as a youth special advisor during President Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign, is interpreted as making aggressive remarks toward former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, who are classified as 'non-Yoon' factions.

In fact, Chairman Jang also said, "Personally, I want close associates of former lawmaker Yoo and former leader Lee to definitely run as candidates so that they can compete fairly and squarely and be judged by party members."

Jang Ye-chan, chairman of the Youth Foundation and former head of the Youth Headquarters at Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign, is declaring his candidacy for the youth supreme council member of the People Power Party at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the morning of the 5th. On the left is Assemblyman Lee Cheol-gyu. 2023.1.5 [Image source=Yonhap News]

The excitement for the People Power Party's upcoming leadership election is growing increasingly intense. Candidates for party leader, who are fiercely competing for the nomination rights for next year's general election, are gradually emerging, and candidates for the supreme council members, who will be elected together, are also announcing their candidacies one after another.

According to political circles on the 6th, the People Power Party will elect a total of five elected supreme council members, including one youth supreme council member, along with the party leader at the party convention scheduled for March 8.

The youth quota supreme council member position was the first to ignite. Following Chairman Jang's declaration of candidacy the previous day, Ji Seong-ho, a proportional representative lawmaker of the People Power Party and a defector from North Korea, is also scheduled to hold a press conference to announce his candidacy on the 8th. On the 12th of this month, Kim Ga-ram, a former youth planning committee member of the transition committee who served as co-chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Party in Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign, will declare his candidacy.

The 'Yoon heart (Yoonshim)'?President Yoon Seok-yeol's intention?is also the biggest topic among youth supreme council member candidates. At Chairman Jang's press conference, Lee Cheol-gyu, a People Power Party lawmaker who serves as the general secretary of the pro-Yoon intra-party group 'People's Sympathy,' appeared alongside him and effectively expressed support. Chairman Jang emphasized 'Yoonshim' throughout the press conference. He said, "Only Jang Ye-chan is the youth supreme council member candidate who can freely communicate with President Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential office aides, and government ministers and convey the voices of the youth."

Kim Young-ho, aide to lawmaker Jang Je-won, a 'Yoon core figure (Yoonhakkwan)' closely related to President Yoon Seok-yeol, also threw his hat in the ring for youth supreme council member. In a press release that day, aide Kim criticized Chairman Jang, saying, "Seeing a youth candidate who says 'I will tie up loose ends so that no other voices come from within the party,' I thought he was unqualified as a youth supreme candidate of a public party."

Relatively, non-Yoon faction candidates, who find it difficult to receive 'Yoonshim,' have postponed their candidacies. Former youth supreme council member Kim Yong-tae, who served under Lee Jun-seok's leadership, said he is still considering whether to run. Former supreme council member Kim said, "There is still time until February when the party officially accepts candidate applications, so I will review it further."

Kim Yong-tae, former Supreme Youth Committee Member of the People Power Party [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lawyer Cheon Ha-ram, who was active as an innovation committee member of the People Power Party, also said in a phone interview that day, "I am still considering running," adding, "I am reviewing whether to run as a youth supreme council member or as a supreme council member."

Within the party, voices are gaining strength that the supreme council should be one that can support President Yoon, so it is expected that 'Yoonshim' will also influence the pool of supreme council candidates.

Although no one has officially declared candidacy for supreme council member yet, potential candidates continue to emerge in political circles. It is reported that former lawmakers Kim Jae-won and Jung Mi-kyung, who previously served as supreme council members, as well as former lawmaker Lee Eon-ju, are weighing their candidacies. Second-term lawmaker Park Sung-joong and first-term and proportional representatives Lee Yong, Jo Soo-jin, and Heo Eun-ah are also considering running.