With the 'Jungjin Assembly'... Struggling to Resolve Internal and External Confusion

Discussion on Party Recovery Measures with Four or More Terms Gathered
Party Convention Likely to Be Held by July at the Latest

The People Power Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the general election, has begun efforts to recover. Amid the crisis, the 'senior member role theory' is emerging.

The People Power Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the April 10 general election, is drawing attention as to who will step up as the savior to stabilize and lead the party in turmoil. On the 14th, the emergency committee chairman's office of the People Power Party at the National Assembly appeared quiet. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the morning of the 15th, Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, held a 'meeting to discuss party recovery measures' at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, targeting lawmakers elected for four or more terms. Attendees included six-term lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae, five-term lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong, Kwon Young-se, Yoon Sang-hyun, and four-term lawmakers Kim Do-eup, Kim Sang-hoon, Kim Tae-ho, Na Kyung-won, Park Dae-chul, Park Deok-heum, Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoon Young-seok, Yoon Jae-ok, Lee Jong-bae, Lee Heon-seung, and Han Ki-ho, including Floor Leader Yoon. They congratulated each other on their re-election with smiles but soon took their seats with serious expressions.

Floor Leader Yoon said, "We must accept the general election defeat without reservation but overcome this crisis by using public sentiment as our compass," adding, "Starting with today's meeting with senior lawmakers and tomorrow's meeting of elected members, we will proceed with finding the best measures to manage the crisis."

They are expected to discuss the vacant leadership positions during the meeting. Former emergency committee chairman Han Dong-hoon, who led the general election as a de facto one-man system, took responsibility for the election defeat and resigned from his position on the 11th.

The People Power Party is currently in turmoil both internally and externally. Internally, a party convention is approaching, expected to be held as early as the end of next month or by July at the latest. Externally, the opposition party is putting pressure on the Yongsan Presidential Office. The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to process the 'Special Prosecutor Act on Allegations of External Pressure in the Death Case of Chae Sang-byeong' (Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act) on May 2.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is taking out a statement at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 11th to express his position on the general election defeat. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

The non-Yoon (anti-Yoon Seok-yeol) faction is emerging as the core of future party leadership. The People Power Party ran this general election in conjunction with Yongsan. Ahead of the party convention in March last year, the party revised the existing election rule from '70% party member vote and 30% opinion poll' to '100% party member vote' to establish a leadership backed overwhelmingly by party members from the pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) faction. Consequently, Kim Ki-hyun, considered part of the pro-Yoon faction, was elected party leader. After the party operation centered on Kim faltered, former Innovation Committee Chairman In Yo-han and former Chairman Han were brought in, but they showed cooperation rather than standing in opposition to Yongsan.

They are also expected to struggle to erase the image of having become a 'Yeongnam Party' by promoting the non-Yoon faction. Among the 18 senior lawmakers elected for four or more terms in this general election, 10 are from the Yeongnam region, constituting a majority. Expanding to all 90 constituency winners, only 19 are from the Seoul metropolitan area, while 59 are from the Yeongnam region. A senior party lawmaker who requested anonymity said, "This general election confirmed that public sentiment differs between the Yeongnam region and the Seoul metropolitan area," adding, "We need to target voters nationwide by promoting senior lawmakers from the metropolitan area."