Conflict over 'Na Kyung-won Dismissal, Yoon's True Intentions'... Ruling Party Faces Muddy Battle Ahead of Party Convention

March 8 Party Convention Leadership Race Heats Up
Three Leadership Candidates Show Three Different Approaches
Na "Dismissal Is Not the President's True Intention" vs Kim Dae-gi "President's Decision"

Dismissal is not believed to be the president's true intention (Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won)

(Former lawmaker Na) The dismissal is a decision based on the president's accurate fact-finding (Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President)

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] The intense competition for party leadership in the People Power Party's March 8 convention has turned into a mudslinging fight again just a day after the leadership tried to calm the situation. Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who is weighing a run for party leader, threw a warning shot at the 'Pro-Yoon (Pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) faction' and hinted at a leadership bid. In response, Chief of Staff Kim Dae-gi directly intervened, saying, "President Yoon Seok-yeol himself knows well how he thinks about Na's past conduct."

On the 17th, former lawmaker Na headed to Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK), known as the so-called 'heart of conservatism.' That morning, Na visited Donghwasa Temple in Daegu and had tea with the head monk, Uihyeon, among others. After the tea meeting, he told reporters, "My mind is almost made up," but added, "However, it is not yet the time to specifically announce when or what decision I will make." This is interpreted as him weighing the timing of his candidacy announcement.

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won (Photo by Yonhap News)

Na said, "What worries me is that next year's general election victory directly guarantees the success of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," adding, "The virtue of a party leader is to not alienate the people and the president but to convey the people's will well to the president. In that regard, I am considering what role I will play in the upcoming general election victory."

That morning, he also posted on his Facebook that regarding President Yoon's decision on the dismissal of Na from the vice-chairmanship of the Low Birthrate and Aging Committee on the 13th, "The dismissal of me must ultimately be a decision made by the president," but added, "Although I had shortcomings until the president made such a decision, I believe there was also distortion in the communication process. In that sense, I think it was not the president's true intention."

However, Chief of Staff Kim Dae-gi rebutted in a notice to the presidential press corps that afternoon, saying, "I would like to say that the president is more than anyone else accurately aware of various state affairs," and "The dismissal of Na is a decision based on the president's accurate fact-finding."

In particular, Kim said in an unusually strong tone of criticism, "The president, through his long public service career, values substantive truth most in public decision-making," and "The president, who spares no time for economic diplomacy activities for national interests, knows well how he thinks about Na's past conduct."

Earlier, Jeong Jin-seok, the party's emergency committee chairman, said, "The general election in April next year will be a midterm evaluation of President Yoon Seok-yeol," and "The ruling party must unite as one, and the March party convention should be a place to solidify determination," attempting to calm internal strife over the leadership competition.

People Power Party presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Ki-hyun (Photo by Yonhap News)

On the same day, leading People Power Party leadership candidates refrained from commenting on the Na Kyung-won incident and focused on appealing to party members. Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to strengthen his claim as the representative of the metropolitan area, while Assemblyman Kim Ki-hyun rushed to Cheonan, Chungnam, to conduct party member education, expanding his engagement with party members.

'Ahn Cheol-soo' Launches Metropolitan Area Campaign

That morning, Assemblyman Ahn held a tea meeting with Mayor Oh at Seoul City Hall for about 35 minutes. Afterward, Ahn told reporters, "Oh gave me various advice and many well-wishes regarding the party convention," adding, "We exchanged opinions on that."

Mayor Oh had previously met Assemblyman Kim on the 15th and former lawmaker Na on the 16th. Regarding this, Ahn drew a line, saying, "If others had personal relationships, mine was a policy meeting," emphasizing, "That is the difference from other candidates."

Along with this, Ahn emphasized the 'metropolitan area.' He said, "The most important thing in elections is the metropolitan area," and "Only someone who properly understands the public sentiment in the metropolitan area and has experience running elections there can win this time in the metropolitan area." Ahn has served three terms in Seoul and Gyeonggi.

He also cited the Democratic Party as an example. Ahn said, "Looking at the Democratic Party's convention results, the party leader, floor leader, and all elected supreme council members are from the metropolitan area. The Democratic Party has already set up its lineup, recognizing the metropolitan area as the battleground," adding, "Our party must properly respond to this in the upcoming convention."

'Kim Ki-hyun' Goes to Chungcheong to Win Party Members' Support

Assemblyman Kim went down to Chungcheong and gave a keynote lecture titled 'Ask and Answer with Kim Ki-hyun' at Baekseok University in Cheonan. There, he targeted the central region with messages of solidarity, inclusion, and unity.

In his lecture, Kim said, "I say we are boiling 'Yeonpotang' (a soup), which is an acronym for solidarity, inclusion, and balance," adding, "We must put the party into a mode of great unity, win next year's general election, and based on that strength, push forward pension, labor, and education reforms, as well as large-scale reforms for the development of non-metropolitan areas."

Kim also raised his voice, declaring himself as the 'combo' who will cooperate with President Yoon Seok-yeol. Regarding his recent first-place ranking in polls, Kim said, "I communicate and empathize well with President Yoon, and have shown leadership that leads the party stably," adding, "Despite many hardships, I have not lost my center, have breakthrough ability, fight when needed, negotiate when needed, and internally unify the party. I think party members have come to believe, 'That person is trustworthy.'"