Kim Ki-hyun and In Yo-han Meeting... Will the Ruling Party Find Common Ground on the 'Sacrificial Innovation Plan'?

Final Coordination of Meeting Schedule Between Both Sides
Dispute Over Agenda Item 2 and Gonggwan Committee Chair
Leadership Likely to Attempt to Soothe Innovation Committee

Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the People Power Party, will meet with Innovation Committee Chairman In Yo-han on the afternoon of the 6th to resolve conflicts. Attention is focused on whether this meeting can find common ground, as the party leadership and the Innovation Committee have shown opposing stances over the committee's second agenda item, 'Non-candidacy and running in difficult districts by the leadership, senior members, and pro-Yoon faction lawmakers.'

Leader Kim and Chairman In will meet at 5 p.m. in the party leader's office.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party (right), and In Yo-han, chairman of the Innovation Committee, are having a meeting at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 17th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The rift between the party leadership and the Innovation Committee has deepened over time. Previously, the Innovation Committee officially requested the Supreme Council to accept the second agenda item, which involves the 'sacrifice of the leadership and senior members,' but the Supreme Council rejected it. Chairman In asked to be recommended as the nomination management committee chairman if the request was not accepted, but the leadership effectively declined.

Within the Innovation Committee, there have been claims that the committee should either dissolve early or recommend the party switch to an emergency response committee. Internally, there was dissatisfaction that the Innovation Committee, which was launched to recover from the defeat in the October 11 Seoul Gangseo District Office by-election, has become a tool for Leader Kim Gi-hyeon's leadership to stall for time. Accordingly, the Innovation Committee announced it would request a vote on the second agenda item at the Supreme Council meeting scheduled for the 7th.

At this meeting, the party leadership is expected to attempt to appease the Innovation Committee. The leadership is likely to coordinate differences between the two sides to prevent a so-called crisis, such as the Innovation Committee dissolving early or raising the issue of switching to an emergency response committee as an agenda item for the Supreme Council. Lee Yang-su, senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, said on SBS Radio that morning, "This will be a meeting where differences will be adjusted and areas of agreement will be amplified."

In particular, the leadership is expected to provide a detailed explanation regarding the proposal to transfer the second agenda item suggested by the Innovation Committee to the Nomination Management Committee. Given the parliamentary schedule, including the processing of next year's budget bill, lawmakers cannot declare non-candidacy at this time, and the second agenda item is not a matter for Supreme Council approval. A People Power Party official said, "Just as the party audit results are not decided by the Supreme Council, the innovation plan related to non-candidacy is also not a matter for Supreme Council approval but should be transferred to the General Election Planning Team or the Nomination Management Committee," adding, "The two will likely have a frank conversation." Senior spokesperson Park Jeong-ha also told reporters the previous day, "(If the second innovation plan) is approved by the Supreme Council, it could be subject to injunction, and there could be issues with the party constitution and regulations, so we are asking for more time," adding, "The second innovation plan is highly controversial and requires time."