The Democratic Party launches 'Hwang Woo-yeo Emergency Committee'... Hwang emphasizes "appointments based on ability and balance"

The Democratic Party's Fourth Emergency Committee Since Yoon Administration Inauguration
Hwang Emphasizes "Skillfulness is Important" in Emergency Committee Member Selection

On the 2nd, the People Power Party launched the Hwang Woo-yeo Emergency Response Committee system. The newly appointed Emergency Response Committee Chairman Hwang Woo-yeo plans to select committee members based on the principles of 'capability' and 'balance of generation, gender, and region' to prepare for the party convention.

At 10 a.m. on the same day, the People Power Party held the 12th National Committee meeting online and, using an automated response system (ARS) for voting, passed the establishment of the Emergency Response Committee and the appointment of Chairman Hwang with 549 votes in favor out of 598 voters (voter turnout 67.95%, approval rate 91.81%).

The 'Hwang Woo-yeo Emergency Response Committee' is the fourth since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, following the emergency committees led by Joo Ho-young, Chung Jin-seok, and Han Dong-hoon. It has been 21 days since former Chairman Han resigned taking responsibility for the April 10 general election defeat. The selection of emergency committee members will take place after the People Power Party floor leader election scheduled for the 9th, as ex officio members must include the floor leader and the policy committee chairman.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader and acting party leader, emphasized at the National Committee meeting, "The People Power Party cannot afford any more delay. We must practice change and reform," adding, "The Emergency Response Committee will play an important role in leading change. To save the party, all members must unite with a spirit of putting the party's interests before their own."

Hwang Woo-yeo, the Election Commission Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending a closed meeting of the Election Commission held at the National Assembly on the 7th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Chairman Hwang's plan is to focus on capability and balance when selecting emergency committee members. Since the Emergency Response Committee is being formed amid a crisis following the general election defeat, it will be organized as a 'practical' team capable of coordinating various issues and preparing for the upcoming party convention. In a phone interview with Asia Economy, Chairman Hwang said, "Now is the time to work," and added, "Rather than focusing on appearances, we need to bring in people who have the skills." Balancing generation, gender, and region to gather diverse opinions is also a principle in selecting committee members.

Chairman Hwang explained, "We need to select members evenly from the elderly and young to middle-aged groups. Regional balance is also important, and we must include figures who can cover both inside and outside the National Assembly, as well as women," adding, "Rather than unilaterally appointing committee members, we will listen to the opinions of Floor Leader Yoon, the incoming floor leader, and the policy committee chairman, and if there are opinions from outside the National Assembly, we will gather all of them before making a decision." According to the People Power Party's constitution and regulations, the Emergency Response Committee can be composed of up to 15 members, but since it is a management and practical type committee, the number is expected to be kept to a minimum.

Regarding the revision of the party convention rules, discussions are planned after the emergency committee members are finalized. Since the Emergency Response Committee is a consultative body and revising the party convention rules involves amending the party constitution and regulations, unilateral action could cause controversy. Chairman Hwang said, "I have personal thoughts on this," adding, "However, since the Emergency Response Committee is not a sole decision-making body but a consultative one, once the floor leader and committee members are confirmed, we will discuss it and gather many opinions beforehand as well."