Hwang Woo-yeo: "Innovation Beyond Reestablishment Level... Cooperation with the Opposition"

First Press Conference After Inauguration
Hwang "Maintain Party Identity but Reform"
Calls for Cooperation from Both Ruling and Opposition Parties
"Nation Cannot Stand Divided in Public Opinion"

Hwang Woo-yeo, the newly appointed Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, stated on the 3rd, "We will pursue innovation beyond the level of reestablishing the party." This reflects his intention to reflect on the reasons why the party was not chosen by the people in the April 10 general election, to reform the party, and at the same time to cooperate with the major opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea.

At the inauguration press conference held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the same day, Chairman Hwang said, "While clearly maintaining our party's identity, we will approach the demands for change commanded by the people with an open attitude that we can change anything. We will reform until the people say we have become one."

Chairman Hwang’s plan is to reestablish the conservative values that define the party’s identity. He stated, "We must never weaken or damage conservative values and degrade into pseudo-conservatism. Such temptation only confuses and divides the people who support conservative parties," adding, "If salt loses its taste, it becomes useless and is discarded on the ground. We will firmly establish the People Power Party’s identity as a conservative party."

Regarding cooperation with the Democratic Party, he said, "The Democratic Party, which is an ideological party different from us, has its own support base. The People Power Party must respect the people who support the Democratic Party, so we will regard the Democratic Party’s claims as the voices of those supporters and respect them," and requested, "We hope the Democratic Party will also accept our party as the voice of our supporters." He emphasized, "The opinions of the ruling and opposition parties must undergo a dialectical synthesis of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis to become a single voice. This is politics, and this is the National Assembly," adding, "If the ruling and opposition parties are divided, the national consensus cannot be divided; otherwise, the country cannot stand."

He also mentioned that to increase public support for the ruling party, it must have inclusiveness. Chairman Hwang stressed, "Whether we wisely respond in a way that aligns with public sentiment or approach it with an attitude not much different from the past, the people will decide whether to give our party another chance in the upcoming local elections or to ignore us forever."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He reaffirmed that future appointments to the Emergency Response Committee will be based on diversity and capability. This is because balancing age groups, regions, and gender evenly is necessary to listen to public sentiment without filtering. Especially with the party convention approaching, capable individuals will also be appointed.

Regarding the setting of rules for the party convention, he said, "We need to discuss this after the committee is formed," adding, "Since this issue involves amendments to the party constitution and regulations, there are various procedures and requirements for amendments, so we will steadily proceed within the appropriate scope. All opinions will be gathered openly, and if they meet the requirements for amending the party constitution and regulations, they will be enacted."

When asked about the prospect of a subcommittee-type or practical Emergency Response Committee being formed to prepare for the party convention, he denied it, saying, "Since the National Assembly may enter a dormant state where it is difficult to operate for a while, there will be many tasks for both ruling and opposition parties, and many matters to discuss with the government," adding, "If party innovation is delayed repeatedly, the public will sharply criticize us, saying, 'The election is over, so what are you doing?'"

Regarding the schedule for visiting Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, he responded, "It is customary for party leaders to greet each other, and we will arrange the schedule accordingly."