Kim Young-joo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, to Join People Power Party Tomorrow "Accepts Han Dong-hoon’s Proposal"

"Agreeing with Han's Call to Change Yeouido Politics"
Possibility of Running in Yeongdeungpo Gap

Kim Young-joo (4-term, Yeongdeungpo-gap, Seoul), the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly who left the Democratic Party, will join the People Power Party on the 4th.

On the afternoon of the 1st, Kim Young-joo, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly who left the Democratic Party after meeting with Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to the press at a location in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, Deputy Speaker Kim mentioned his dinner meeting with Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, on his social media (SNS) Facebook account, stating, "I have accepted Chairman Han's (joining) proposal and decided to join the People Power Party."

He said, "Chairman Han proposed that in order to change the politics in Yeouido, which is trapped in factional logic, the party must expand its outreach to the centrist group, and for this purpose, he suggested joining the People Power Party to do politics together."

He continued, "I also have mainly engaged in legislative activities focused on so-called everyday politics, such as improving the quality of life for workers, solving issues of marginalized groups like impoverished children, and improving the living environment of the people, rather than factional logic. Therefore, I fully agreed with Chairman Han's argument to expand outreach to the centrist group and change Yeouido politics."

Earlier, on the 19th of last month, when Kim was notified by the Democratic Party's nomination management committee that he was among the bottom 20% of incumbent lawmakers subject to point deductions in the primary evaluation, he declared his departure from the party, saying he felt "humiliated." Kim entered the National Assembly as a proportional representative in the 17th term and was consecutively elected in the 19th to 21st general elections representing Yeongdeungpo-gap, achieving a 4-term milestone. If he joins the People Power Party, there is speculation that he will run again in Yeongdeungpo-gap.