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On the 27th, the 'Innovation Committee with the People' under the second-term leadership of Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the People Power Party, officially began its activities, while Shin Pyeong, a lawyer who served as Kim's campaign chairman during his bid for party leadership, reignited calls for Kim's resignation. Although Kim has launched a comprehensive reform effort ahead of next year's general election by promoting the Innovation Committee, internal party discord continues.

Shin, who is both Kim's former campaign chairman and known as President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'mentor,' mentioned Kim on Facebook on the 27th, stating, "Despite his numerous personal strengths, he is too limited a figure to serve as party leader," and added, "He seems insufficient to endure the position." This is interpreted as a de facto call for Kim's resignation.

Shin criticized Kim for failing to properly fulfill his role as the ruling party leader since his election. He said, "(Kim Gi-hyeon) has never once properly performed as the head of the ruling party, which, along with the presidential office, forms one of the two pillars supporting the ruling camp, since becoming party leader," and added, "I predicted that candidate Kim Tae-woo would lose in the recent Gangseo District mayoral by-election."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Shin, who also heard from Gangseo District officials that Kim had lost their trust, emphasized that Kim's excessive focus on the Gangseo election was a fatal mistake despite it being a 'predicted defeat.' Shin explained, "He (Kim Gi-hyeon) ignored such information and went all-in for candidate Kim Tae-woo's victory," adding, "He mobilized the entire party organization for reckless and foolish attacks. Even if the presidential office ordered this, he should have firmly rejected it as party leader. Instead, he obediently complied with those unreasonable demands."

He also assessed that Kim remained more of a 'Yeongnam region lawmaker' than the head of the ruling party. Shin pointed out, "Considering everything, he merely circled the trajectory typical of a Yeongnam region lawmaker raised in a greenhouse environment, which is his essential identity," and added, "He never attempted to break out of this path to truly rise as a great politician for the entire nation."

Earlier, the People Power Party Innovation Committee, formed to manage the aftermath of the October 11 Gangseo District mayoral by-election defeat, held its first meeting on the same day. Innovation Committee member Lee So-hee (Sejong City councilor) responded to criticism that the so-called 'non-Yoon faction' was not included in the committee by saying, "People say that innovation requires the non-Yoon faction's inclusion and that without them, it is not innovation, but to the public, these disputes only look like a fight over positions," and added, "Since it appears as internal conflict, we believe it is more important to focus on the people's wishes and achieve change and innovation with greater attention to livelihood."

Park Seong-jung, the only current lawmaker on the Innovation Committee, also emphasized, "Innovation should be anything that helps the people, regardless of ruling or opposition, pro-Yoon or non-Yoon, pro-Myeong or anti-Myeong," and added, "There have been few successful innovation committees so far," warning, "We must not become an innovation committee that only talks a lot but takes no action."

Meanwhile, one Innovation Committee member drew attention for remarks unrelated to party reform. Lim Jang-mi, who runs a pet-related business, said, "I came here to frankly convey opinions on the practical needs of a growing company," and added, "I want to propose realistic solutions to the distorted problems in the expanding pet market and issues related to abandoned animals."