Kim Geun-sik "Ruling Party's Han Dong-hoon Emergency Committee? Just Rumor Level"

"Kim Gi-hyeon and Innovation Committee Have a Way to Win-Win Together"

Kim Geun-sik, the head of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district in Seoul, criticized former leader Lee Jun-seok's claim that "within 1 to 2 weeks, leader Kim Ki-hyun will be ousted and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong or Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon might take over as the emergency response committee chairman" as "rumor-level talk."

On the 17th, Kim appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "Won Hee-ryong and Han Dong-hoon are gaptuktyu (suddenly popping up)," adding, "it seems frivolous for a former party leader to speak like a third-party commentator. Even mentioning those names feels like spreading rumors."

Former Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim explained, "Although there is a possibility of moving to an emergency response committee, that depends on the final results of the Innovation Committee, and there is a way to coexist without going to the emergency response committee," adding, "Even during the 2020 Liberty Korea Party, when leader Hwang Kyo-ahn led the general election, he remained in position though his influence had weakened. So the leader does not necessarily have to step down and move to an emergency response committee."

He continued, "From the party leader's perspective, whether to go to an emergency response committee is not an all or nothing game," and added, "Leader Kim Ki-hyun can save face and the Innovation Committee can produce results, but for next year's general election, the focus will shift from leader Kim Ki-hyun to a new election countermeasure committee or a new nomination management committee system, among other options."

Former Justice Party lawmaker Park Won-seok, who appeared on the broadcast together, agreed with Kim's view. Park said, "Han Dong-hoon and Won Hee-ryong as emergency response committee chairs is a somewhat premature speculation," adding, "The regular National Assembly session ends on December 10, and the party leader, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are all tied up with the session, so it would be difficult to do anything before then."

However, Park predicted that by the general election, "It does not seem likely that leader Kim Ki-hyun's system will remain unchanged. There is currently no competitiveness in the metropolitan area elections, nor the strategic sense or experience to lead the metropolitan area elections," and "some changes will occur after the regular National Assembly session ends in December."