Kim Ki-hyun "Announces Balanced Talent Appointment"
Secretary General Lee Cheol-gyu & Deputy Secretary General Bae Hyun-jin
Kim Holds Consecutive Meetings with Ahn Cheol-soo & Hwang Kyo-ahn
The key appointments within the People Power Party were filled with pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk-yeol) figures. However, with the appointment of Representative Kang Dae-sik, classified as part of the Yoo Seung-min faction, as a nominated Supreme Council member, the 'Yeonpotang (solidarity, inclusion, balance) politics' emphasized by Representative Kim Ki-hyun is seen as merely a formality.
On the morning of the 13th, the People Power Party held a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly chaired by Representative Kim Ki-hyun to finalize key party appointments. After the meeting, Representative Kim told reporters, "(Regarding the appointments) we are recommending various figures step by step, starting with urgent matters, to appoint talents evenly."
Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is smiling while attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
First, Representative Lee Cheol-gyu, a two-term lawmaker and a core member of the pro-Yoon faction, was appointed as the party secretary-general. Representative Lee has served as the party’s strategic planning deputy chief, chief of the comprehensive situation room for Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential campaign, and chief aide to President-elect Yoon. He also serves as the general secretary of 'Gukmin Gonggam,' the largest pro-Yoon study group within the ruling party. The secretary-general, responsible for managing the party’s organization and finances and overseeing the practical work of the general election nomination management committee, is considered the most important position in this appointment.
Park Sung-min and Bae Hyun-jin, both first-term lawmakers from the pro-Yoon faction, were appointed as strategic planning deputy chief and organization deputy chief, respectively. Representative Park is a politician who formed a connection with President Yoon during the 2014 investigation of the National Intelligence Service’s political intervention case under the Park Geun-hye administration, when Yoon was sidelined to the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office for two years. The head of the party’s think tank, the Yeouido Research Institute, is Representative Park Soo-young. A Seoul National University Law School graduate and a senior-junior alumnus of Busan Dong High School with Representative Kim, Park is also classified as pro-Yoon.
Representatives Kang Min-guk and Yoo Sang-beom, appointed as chief spokespeople, are also from the pro-Yoon faction. The party’s spokespeople include three former local party heads outside the National Assembly: Yoon Hee-seok, former head of the Seoul Gangdong-gap party committee; Kim Ye-ryeong, former spokesperson for the presidential campaign; and Kim Min-soo, former head of the Seongnam Bundang-eul party committee in Gyeonggi Province. Kim, the former committee head, helped former Representative Na Kyung-won prepare for the party leadership election, which is interpreted as a gesture toward reconciliation with Na.
Additionally, Representative Kang, a first-term lawmaker, was appointed as a nominated Supreme Council member directly designated by the party leader. Political circles analyze that appointing Representative Kang in this otherwise pro-Yoon lineup was an effort to promote party unity. Representative Kang is the incumbent lawmaker for Daegu Dong-gu Eul, the constituency of former Representative Yoo Seung-min, and served as the head of external cooperation for Yoo’s presidential primary campaign. It is also believed that the absence of any incumbent Supreme Council members from Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) was taken into consideration.
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party (left), and Assemblyman Kang Dae-sik. Photo by National Assembly Press Corps
Kim Yong-hwan, who managed Representative Kim Ki-hyun’s campaign operations during this party leadership election, will take charge of the newly established party leader’s office situation room. Min Young-sam, who lost in the Supreme Council election and is the head of the Social Integration Strategy Institute, is expected to be appointed as head of the public relations department. Min runs the YouTube channel 'Ddadabutta' and became well-known for frequently making pro-President Yoon remarks on broadcasts.
Except for the nominated Supreme Council member, the appointments on this day were largely filled with pro-Yoon figures. Representative Kim’s side emphasized that the remaining appointments would also be filled with 'Yeonpotang personnel' as Representative Kim has stressed. Representative Kim plans to meet with Representative Ahn Cheol-soo, who competed in the party leadership election, later that afternoon, and with former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn on the 14th.
Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol invited Representative Kim and the new leadership to the Yongsan Presidential Office for a dinner. This is a meet-and-greet held five days after the new leadership of the People Power Party was elected. President Yoon plans to congratulate the elected officials and request smooth communication and cooperation with the presidential office.
On this day, President Yoon is also expected to request the party’s cooperation in pushing forward the three major reforms (labor, education, pension), which are key national agenda items in his second year in office. There is a possibility he will specifically mention prompt legislative support for each reform task. Attending from the presidential office will be Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Lee Jin-bok, and Senior Secretary for National Policy Planning Lee Gwan-seop.
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