Three Candidates for the National Assembly Floor Leader Race Rush to Secure Voter Support

Choo Kyung-ho Attends Seminar and Elected Members' Meeting
Lee Jong-bae and Song Seok-jun Request Support via Phone and Messages

As the People Power Party's floor leader election is set to take place on the 9th, the three candidates for floor leader are making brisk efforts to contact lawmakers.

According to ruling party sources on the 7th, People Power Party lawmakers Lee Jong-bae (Chungbuk Chungju, 4-term), Chu Kyung-ho (Daegu Dalseong, 3-term), and Song Seok-jun (Gyeonggi Icheon, 3-term) have declared their candidacies for the floor leader position and are seeking support from lawmakers through various means.

The official campaign period for the People Power Party floor leader election runs from the 5th to the 9th, with candidates' policy presentations and Q&A sessions scheduled for the 8th at the elected members' general meeting.

Among them, Chu is showing the most active presence. On the afternoon of the day, he attended a seminar titled "Two Years of the Yoon Suk-yeol Government: Achievements and Challenges," hosted by the office of People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. The event was organized to explore ways to lead changes in the ruling party following the crushing defeat in the general election. Chu had also appealed for support at a meeting of 12 newly elected members from the Busan constituency held at an undisclosed location in Busan the previous day.

Lawmakers Song and Lee are also known to be contacting elected members and lawmakers before and after registering as candidates. All three candidates are reaching out to newly elected members because these newcomers to the 22nd National Assembly will participate in the floor leader vote.

All Three Candidates Are Former Bureaucrats and Pro-ChinYoon Faction... Inside the Ruling Party, "They Must Speak Their Minds"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

All three are former administrative officials who passed the civil service exam and are considered part of the pro-ChinYoon faction. Chu entered public service as the 25th class of the civil service exam, served as Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, and First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance, and was the inaugural Minister of Strategy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

Song also entered public service as the 34th class of the civil service exam, served as spokesperson for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and as head of the Seoul Regional Land Management Office, and held the positions of Planning Director and Head of Real Estate Policy at the presidential campaign headquarters.

The most senior candidate, Lee Jong-bae (4-term), is from the 23rd class of the civil service exam. Lee served as the policy chief at the presidential campaign headquarters in the last presidential election.

Since 59 of the 108 People Power Party elected members in this general election represent constituencies in the Yeongnam region, which forms the majority, Chu is considered to have an advantage over Song and Lee, who represent constituencies in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong, respectively.

However, some within the party argue that since the party suffered defeats in the Seoul metropolitan area, considered the "barometer of public sentiment," and the Chungcheong region, known as the "casting voter," the new floor leader should be someone who can also represent public sentiment beyond Yeongnam.

There are also many calls for the floor leader to lead cooperation with the major opposition party and to be able to speak frankly to the presidential office.

Regarding this, Song told Asia Economy when asked, "The floor leader communicates with the presidential office and government. There have been many criticisms that the party has been controlled by the presidential office. If you become floor leader, how will you handle this?" Song replied, "I will consult closely on various matters," adding, "If the presidential office is wrong, I will say it is wrong." On the standards for cooperation with the opposition, he emphasized, "We will follow public sentiment, that is, the will of the people, rather than the number of seats."

Earlier, on the 5th, Chu held a press conference at the National Assembly announcing his candidacy, stating, "I am running for floor leader to devote all my efforts to restoring the People Power Party's reputation as a competent party for the people's livelihood and policy, and to become a party loved again through politics that resonates with the people." When asked about the 'pro-ChinYoon and Yeongnam responsibility theory,' Chu responded, "Since the current situation was not a path where everyone agreed on a good way, I have given it much thought," adding, "If it had been a good path, I would have actively supported and encouraged other lawmakers to follow it."

Lee also sent text messages to elected members, expressing his aspirations by saying, "This floor leader election is the first step to engrave the solemn will of the people revealed in the last general election and to start anew with a determination for self-reflection and reform," and "I will wisely negotiate with the major opposition party and engage in politics solely for the people."