Ha Tae-kyung "If Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Boo-kyum take over as emergency committee chairs, Busan will be at risk"
Yoon Hee-seok "Those who say they are non-mainstream are also our party members"
Shin Pyeong, a lawyer known as "President Yoon Suk-yeol's mentor," recently raised the possibility of President Yoon forming a "new party" based on a poll indicating a "capital region defeat" within the ruling party, but later admitted and apologized after it was revealed to be untrue. However, despite his apology, the possibility of a capital region defeat in next year's general election still exists within the party. If the non-Yoon (비윤) faction joins the new party formation movement, there is also a possibility of a severe manpower shortage.
On the 8th, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, said on MBC's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" that in response to the host's remark, "Shin's talk about a general election crisis is not entirely wrong," "That is true," adding, "For example, if Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, is not present and centrist-leaning figures like former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon or Kim Boo-kyum take charge as emergency committee chairs to run the election, Busan would also be quite at risk."
Regarding President Yoon's approval rating remaining in the 30% range, he said, "(At this rate) there will be an unconditional defeat (in the general election)," warning that if the Democratic Party reorganizes itself with centrist figures, the Yoon administration could end as a "plant government."
Earlier, Shin mentioned on his social media (SNS) a poll supposedly conducted within the ruling party, claiming, "A popular minister was set to compete against a prominent Democratic Party lawmaker, but it was a crushing defeat by a 7% margin, and Seoul was wiped out except for the Gangnam 3 districts." However, the ruling party denied conducting such a poll, and Shin eventually apologized, saying he felt "possessed by a ghost."
Although he apologized, the "capital region defeat crisis theory" Shin mentioned is gaining sympathy within the party. Yoon Hee-seok, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said on YTN's "News King with Park Ji-hoon," "We absolutely do not see the current capital region situation as optimistic," adding, "The capital region's public sentiment is very sensitive to any political or policy situation and has the largest population, so even if we currently judge the situation as okay, it is not reasonable to predict the outcome of the general election about eight months away."
Accordingly, voices within the party call for actively embracing the non-Yoon faction. Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo previously advised on SNS to embrace former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and former party leader Lee Jun-seok. Spokesperson Yoon said, "Those called the non-Yoon faction are also our party members," adding, "Currently, there are many conflicts within the party due to statements from former leader Lee and former lawmaker Yoo, and many are concerned about what will happen, but I believe many think it is right to proceed with maintaining a 'unified front,' so that issue will be resolved well."
However, Yoo Seung-min, who represents the non-Yoon faction, is even leaving open the possibility of forming a new party, raising the prospect of a large-scale defection from the non-Yoon faction. Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said on SBS's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show," "Some are gradually creating justifications to leave the party," adding, "Although the new party in the third zone currently does not cause much stir, if someone like former lawmaker Yoo joins later, it could create quite a reaction."
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