Yoo Yoon-jaeok: "I Will Not Serve as Emergency Committee Chair... Quick Party Convention Is the Majority Opinion"

Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party and acting party leader, has expressed his intention not to take on the position of emergency response committee chairman. He also stated that the mainstream opinion within the party is to hold the party convention at an early date.

Yoon Jae-ok, Acting Party Leader of the People Power Party, is attending the elected members' meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

After concluding the elected members' general meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 22nd, Acting Leader Yoon told reporters, "I stated before the discussion that I would not take on the role of emergency response committee chairman," adding, "The public is demanding change regardless of whether the committee is management-type or innovation-type, and I judged that me taking on the chairman role would not help in fulfilling the people's will."

However, it has been decided that Acting Leader Yoon will recommend a chairman for the emergency response committee. Yoon said, "Since there is not much time, I will listen to the opinions of senior party lawmakers," and "I will gather opinions and follow the necessary procedures." When asked whether he could recommend someone from within the party as chairman, he replied, "The decision was made today, so it is not yet appropriate to specify whether the recommendation will be from inside or outside the party."

Acting Leader Yoon said, "The majority opinion among the elected members is that it would be better to hold the party convention quickly," and "I understand that there are many opinions that an emergency response committee is necessary to hold the convention early." He also explained that it was decided to hold an election to select a new floor leader on the afternoon of the 3rd of next month.

He stated that the future direction of the emergency response committee and the rules for the party convention will be decided after listening to various opinions. Yoon said, "I plan to meet separately with senior lawmakers," but added, "I have not set a schedule or anything yet." Regarding a meeting with out-of-office organizational chairpersons who demanded an innovation-type emergency response committee, he responded, "At this point, it is not easy to meet again."