'Integration' Emphasis Falls Flat... Inyo Han Innovation Committee Fails to Include Non-Yoon Faction

Yoo Seung-min and Lee Jun-seok Leaving Party Rumors... "Must Embrace Non-Yoon Faction"
"Innovation Committee Should Advise on Policy Direction Change of Yoon Government"

On the 26th, the People Power Party announced the appointment of the Innovation Committee, consisting of a total of 13 members including Innovation Committee Chairman In Yo-han. This appointment, which focused on women, youth, and experts, has raised expectations within the party, but some express regret that the anti-Yoon (anti-President Yoon Suk-yeol) faction was not embraced. The innovation will of Chairman In, who emphasized unity as his inaugural message, has been rendered meaningless from the launch of the Innovation Committee.

The keywords of the Innovation Committee appointments revealed that day are women, youth, and experts. Among the 12 innovation committee members excluding the chairman, 7 are women, making up the majority, and 8 members are youth in their 20s to 40s. Additionally, various experts from the medical, media, and cultural sectors have joined.

However, the 'unity, sacrifice, diversity' initially emphasized by Chairman In is considered to have lost its meaning due to the failure to include the anti-Yoon faction. Chairman In reportedly proposed joining the Innovation Committee to former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook, Cheon Ha-ram, chairman of the Suncheon Gap party association in Jeonnam, and Kim Jae-seop, chairman of the Dobong Gap party association in Seoul, all of whom have been critical of the party, but they declined.

Currently, within the ruling party, there are concerns about division, with rumors of Yoo Seung-min and Lee Jun-seok leaving the party and forming a new party. In this situation, criticism arises that the Innovation Committee must embrace the anti-Yoon faction to promote harmony within the party to win next year's general election.

In-yo-han, Chairman of the Innovation Committee of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 26th, explaining the background of the Innovation Committee member appointments. [Image source=Yonhap News]

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung said, "The most important part of the Innovation Committee regarding nomination rights is 'what to do with the so-called anti-Yoon faction?'" He emphasized, "We need to make a political judgment on whether to induce these people to form a new party or actively embrace them."

On the 26th, on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match,' Ha said, "Former leader Lee Jun-seok was the top contributor who played a significant role in the election, and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-jin is currently making many emotional remarks, but they are people who should be with our party," adding, "The result of the pro-Yoon (pro-President Yoon Suk-yeol) monopoly system for one year and six months is a presidential approval rating of 30%. It has become clear that this government cannot succeed under a pro-Yoon single-party government, so we must unite and cooperate."

Committee member Cheon Ha-ram evaluated, "An Innovation Committee operating under the Kim Ki-hyun leadership system is meaningless." In an interview with YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' on the 27th, Cheon said, "Since I declined the Innovation Committee proposal, it is not appropriate to comment on the composition of the Innovation Committee or the individual members," but added, "No matter how excellent the individuals are, the Kim Ki-hyun leadership system itself symbolizes excessive intervention by the presidential office in party affairs, so unless this system ends, it will be difficult for the Innovation Committee to gain public attention or achieve meaningful results."

Responding to criticism that "there are no anti-Yoon faction members," Cheon said to Chairman In, who replied, "I will be very critical. Don't worry," "If you mean that sincerely, please request the president to reconsider the issue of General Hong Beom-do's bust, attend the first anniversary citizen rally for the October 29 Itaewon disaster to console the bereaved families, meet with the opposition party to share the results of talks, and seek cooperation on the appointments of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and Constitutional Court Chief Justice. Then, your words will resonate more deeply. This is not advice but a sincere request."

Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju said, "Putting forward faces and sending messages through the composition is not bad, but that is not the essence," emphasizing, "The most important essence is an accurate diagnosis of why the situation requiring innovation has come."

On the 27th, on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Lee said, "For more than a year and a half, the president has governed in a way that is very disconnected from public sentiment, and as these issues accumulated, public opinion became very negative," adding, "The party should have spoken up to correct this even a little, but that never happened. Instead, the party followed more, suppressed the media, or acted like the Red Guards in such situations."

He continued, "Especially members of the National Assembly, as the legislative branch, must check the executive branch even if they are the ruling party," and said, "The president must first change the direction of state affairs, the party must recommend this change, and if it does not change, the president must be continuously checked to make the change."