"Positive Signal for Yoo Seung-min" Ruling Party Innovation Committee, Did They Find a Turning Point?

In-Yohan Reaches Out to Yoo Seung-min and Lee Jun-seok
Lee Jun-seok Responds Negatively... "A Hand Extended Like Homework"
Ha Tae-kyung Also Proposes "Giving Lee Jun-seok Nomination and Forming Anti-Yoon Alliance"

Inyo-han, the Innovation Committee Chairman of the People Power Party who has emphasized integration while mentioning a general amnesty, has started to appease the non-Yoon (non-President Yoon Suk-yeol) faction. Despite some opposition within the party, he proposed a 'unified general amnesty' to the party leadership and has reached out by holding a private meeting with former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and requesting a face-to-face meeting with former leader Lee Jun-seok.

On the 31st of last month, Chairman In, who had a private meeting with former lawmaker Yoo for about two hours, stated, "I received a positive signal that former lawmaker Yoo will be with the party." On the same day, in an interview with JTBC, he said, "I didn't know he was such a gentleman. A Korea gentleman," adding, "Former lawmaker Yoo said he is very worried about the country. A patriot."

Besides this, he praised former lawmaker Yoo with remarks such as "Korea gentleman" and "patriot."

Chairman In also extended a hand to former leader Lee Jun-seok, who has been critical of the party, saying, "I want to meet and get advice." On the 1st, on CBS Radio, he said, "I don't want to push my opinions but want to receive advice," adding, "I understand he has a lot of experience and has contributed greatly to building this party. He helped well during the election, so I hope he will help more going forward and teach me."

However, former leader Lee still has a negative response. He opposed the Innovation Committee's general amnesty proposal, saying, "I am against it," and rejected it by stating, "Approaching this as if forcibly granting leniency only worsens the situation." He also downplayed the meeting between Chairman In and former lawmaker Yoo, calling it "just a perfunctory outreach" (CBS Radio, 1st).

In Yohan, Chairman of the Innovation Committee of the People Power Party. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Recently, there have been analyses inside and outside the ruling party that former lawmaker Yoo and former leader Lee might leave the party and form a new party. Former leader Lee has said, "I am not preparing a new party, but I do not rule out the possibility" (October 25, MBC Radio), leaving the door open, and there is growing concern that if the two form a conservative new party, the People Power Party will face difficulties in next year's general election.

Some also analyze that changing the vertical party-government relationship demanded by the non-Yoon faction could enable 'embracing the non-Yoon faction.'

On the afternoon of the 31st of last month, Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "Chairman In wants to meet former leader Lee, but Lee is setting the precondition that 'we can meet if important issues are acknowledged and reflected upon,'" adding, "They just need to form an alliance with the non-Yoon faction. They can solve it step by step by forming a joint leadership with the non-Yoon faction in the general election planning team or the talent recruitment committee."

He also said that former leader Lee should be given the nomination for Seoul Nowon-byeong. Lawmaker Ha said, "Former leader Lee has run three times so far and has great affection for that area, so he cannot say he will move his constituency while staying in our party," adding, "Not everyone in the party likes Lee's remarks, but many understand his feelings because he has suffered a lot. The majority opinion is that we need to join hands with former leader Lee."

He continued, "There is strong dissatisfaction that former lawmaker Yoo is too emotional in dealing with the Yoon Suk-yeol government," but explained, "However, the party holds the reins, and since former lawmaker Yoo is somewhat supported by centrists, it is necessary to join hands for our sake. There is an opinion questioning whether it is necessary to expel him from the party."