Na Kyung-won "Dismissal is not Yoon's true intention" statement faces crossfire
Kim Tae-heum "Is Na Kyung-won a wandering merchant?" direct attack
Hong Joon-pyo "Couple aiming for top positions"
[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Internal strife continues within the People Power Party surrounding former party lawmaker Na Kyung-won’s candidacy for the March 8 party convention. After President Yoon Seok-yeol dismissed Na from her position as vice chair of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee, Na and the presidential office clashed over the president’s true intentions. Subsequently, first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party issued a statement criticizing Na, and two of them who served as election commissioners resigned.
The People Power Party Central Election Commission announced on the 18th that it accepted the resignations of election commissioners Eom Tae-young (Deputy Head of Organization) and Jang Dong-hyuk (Election Commission Spokesperson). Both lawmakers expressed their intention to resign from the commission due to personal reasons, and Election Commission Chair Yoo Heung-soo accepted their resignations.
In the statement released the previous day, 50 out of 63 first-term lawmakers (79.3%) had their names listed as of that day. Within the party, concerns were raised that Eom Tae-young and Jang Dong-hyuk, as election commissioners, criticizing a specific candidate could lead to disputes over fairness. A representative from Eom’s side stated, "Signing the statement was judged to be a very serious matter causing concern among party members and the public due to inappropriate expressions about the president and distorted facts ahead of the party convention to elect the ruling party leader in a situation where the opposition holds a majority," adding, "to preempt unnecessary misunderstandings regarding fairness and neutrality, we decided to resign from the Election Commission."
Following the first-term lawmakers, second-term lawmakers also prepared a statement criticizing Na on the same day but postponed its release. After President Yoon’s dismissal of her, Na Kyung-won, who had been actively engaging in public activities, did not attend the scheduled New Year’s gathering of the Daejeon City Party and went into seclusion. Na stated plans to decide on her candidacy after President Yoon returns from his trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Davos Forum, but remained silent when reporters asked about her candidacy on that day.
However, criticism of Na within the party is intensifying. Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province, posted on his SNS (Facebook) on the morning of the same day under the title “Kim Tae-heum’s Thoughts,” saying, “I offer sincere advice to my home, which has fallen into a mudslinging fight,” and added, “Looking at the words and actions of the current People Power Party leadership candidates, they seem full of selfish interests. It is time to consider whether to support the party firmly and back national governance with a self-sacrificing attitude.”
Governor Kim directly mentioned Na Kyung-won by name, asking, “Are you a drifter who only shows up when there’s a stage?” He implied that it does not seem normal for Na, who has been vice chair of the ministerial-level Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee for only two or three months, to clash with the president and run for party leader.
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also wrote on Facebook the previous night, “If you truly care about a president who still has more than four years left in office, wouldn’t it be better to restrain yourself now?” He added, “Relying solely on a whimsical opinion poll and rushing in could lead to a big failure.”
Mayor Hong referred to Na’s visit to Donghwasa Temple in Daegu the previous day, stating, “Image politics ended with former President Park Geun-hye alone, but criticizing even the presidential aides and clinging to someone who disgustingly cut ties like Kim Sowol’s azaleas will only hasten the breakup with the president’s side.”
On the same day, Mayor Hong also posted on Facebook, “It is one thing for a couple to harmonize in a good way, but if they do so solely out of ambition for advancement, that is truly problematic,” adding, “For each to use all means to reach the highest position when others find even one position challenging to obtain is difficult to accept in Korean society.” Na Kyung-won’s husband is Kim Jae-ho, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, who is an alumnus of Seoul National University Law School along with President Yoon Seok-yeol. This appears to be a reference to circulating rumors in political circles about Judge Kim’s potential appointment as a Supreme Court justice.
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