Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the People’s Party Withdraws 5-Member Group Statement
Lee Jun-seok Warns of Renewed Controversy if List Is Disclosed
The Supreme Council is shaken as the controversy continues over Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the People Power Party, who initially claimed there was a '5-person group' monopolizing the party's actual decision-making process but later retracted his statement.
The People Power Party leadership explained it as a "party staff working meeting," while former leader Lee Jun-seok stated that the existing '5-person group' list is not the real one and promised to reveal the true list next week.
On the 2nd, Rep. Lee posted on his social media, "I retract my statement about the '5-person group' made on the broadcast on May 30," adding, "It was an incorrect choice of words that slipped out as I wished for the Supreme Council to quickly restore its role and status. I sincerely apologize for causing trouble to the party and leadership with my thoughtless remarks."
This was a reversal of his '5-person group' statement within three days. On the 30th of last month, on CBS's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match,' he said, "The Supreme Council is supposed to be the highest decision-making body, but is it really fitting? Or is it just a figurehead? Isn't the actual important core agenda decided elsewhere?" and added, "Within the party, there are talks about a '5-person group'."
The members said to be part of the 5-person group alongside leader Kim Ki-hyun include Park Dae-chul, Policy Committee Chair; Lee Cheol-gyu, Secretary-General; Park Sung-min, Deputy Chair of Strategic Planning; Bae Hyun-jin, Deputy Chair of Organization; and Park Soo-hyun, Director of the Yeouido Research Institute?party officials.
The party leadership responded by saying it was "not a 5-person group but rather a working-level meeting." On the 2nd, Jang Ye-chan, a youth supreme council member, said on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' that it was "a somewhat exaggerated expression," explaining, "There is no specific person or term called the 5-person group. Every morning, Leader Kim meets with the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretaries-General. It is only natural and normal for the party leader to hold working meetings with party officials."
The leadership's unified effort to block the '5-person group' suspicion appears to stem from concerns about past disruptions in party operations caused by the 'Yoon Core Group (Yoon Seok-yeol's key associates)' frame.
Leader Kim also dismissed the suspicion as "not worth considering," and Supreme Council member Kim Byung-min said on CBS radio, "It is not a 5-person group, but a daily morning party strategy meeting centered around the leader."
Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won, who received a one-year suspension of party membership rights, also said on CBS radio, "It is perfectly normal party operation to have practical consultations with the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretaries-General, and Policy Committee Chair."
However, former leader Lee Jun-seok stated that the circulating 5-person group list is a "list without substance" and promised to disclose the actual list next week.
On SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' he said, "This list was made up to cover things up," adding, "Isn't it natural that people within the official meeting system hold meetings? It is unlikely to operate that way, and if I were to make a list, I would make it differently. I will reveal that list around next week."
He referred to past suspicions such as the 'Manmanhoe' and 'Manhoe Repayment' raised by former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won during the Park Geun-hye administration, saying, "If the Yoon Seok-yeol government's state administration does not become transparent, and if party operations remain opaque, there will be about ten different versions of such lists."
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