'Gyohoe Oppa' and 'Chubli'... Park Chandae vs Chu Kyungho Comparison

22nd National Assembly Floor Leaders Park Chandae VS Choo Kyung-ho
Excellent Communication Skills and Common Traits of 3-term Yoon and Lee Influentials
Agreement on Cooperation but Differences in Methods, Coexistence of Expectations and Concerns

"I hope you will respond with 'ho (好)' even to the supplementary budget for the Livelihood Recovery Support Fund."

On the 10th, Park Chandae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged the payment of 250,000 won per person for the Livelihood Recovery Support Fund at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly. Although it was a playful expression quoting the name of Chu Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the People Power Party, the person himself does not seem to be amused. This is because the word 'chugyeong,' an abbreviation for supplementary budget, is the word Chu dislikes the most. When he was Deputy Prime Minister, he was even called 'Chugyeongbulho (不好),' meaning 'dislike of supplementary budget.'

With Chu Kyung-ho vs. Park Chandae, as the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties are decided, attention is focused on the first appearance of the 22nd National Assembly led by the two. It is of interest how the Democratic Party's 'legislative offensive' will unfold and what defense strategy the People Power Party will activate.

◆Commonalities: Three consecutive terms + Yoon·Lee insiders = Both floor leaders won their first badges in the 20th general election. They consecutively reached the three-term milestone in the 21st and 22nd National Assemblies. Chu’s constituency is Dalseong, Daegu, and Park’s is Yeonsu-gap, Incheon.

Chu, recognized as an 'economic expert,' served as the secretary of the Planning and Coordination Division of the Presidential Transition Committee and then as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, earning the reputation of a 'powerful minister.' It is said that President Yoon trusted him so much that he said, "I left the economy to Deputy Prime Minister Chu," and there was no conflict. Park was known as the 'mouth' of Lee Jae-myung, then the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and was highly praised for his role as chief spokesperson during the election period. He is also famous for actively defending Lee Jae-myung, then Governor of Gyeonggi Province, during the 2021 National Assembly audit of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, based on his expertise, in relation to the Hwacheon Daeyu Gate scandal.

◆Chubly vs. Church Oppa = Chu’s nickname is 'Chubly.' He is praised for his empathetic ability, engaging in eye contact during conversations. During this floor leader election, he separately produced braille campaign materials for visually impaired lawmaker Kim Ye-ji. Chu reportedly insisted, "Although they do not have voting rights, party officials and aides are our comrades, so please include a message in the campaign materials to communicate and unite together."

He is also informal. When he was Deputy Prime Minister, he promoted dress code liberalization. At an expanded executive meeting where he wore a pink T-shirt, he emphasized, "What matters is not the clothes but the results." His office aides also dress comfortably. Although classified as a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) lawmaker as the first economic deputy prime minister, his factional color is faint. He is known to have 'no enemies' and is friendly with many lawmakers. When handling work, he is meticulous. Aides unanimously said that although work is hard, they feel both rewarding and proud after completing it.

Park, a native of Incheon, enjoys strong trust among local voters. He is known to make time to attend local events no matter how late his schedule is, sharing Makgeolli with residents in a friendly manner. Thanks to his cheerful and gentle personality, he is classified as a strong pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) within the floor but has few major adversaries. As a former accountant, he handles work meticulously, earning nicknames such as 'Alchandae' and 'Geutdongchandae' from supporters.

Within the party, he is known as 'Church Oppa.' This is due to his characteristic kindness, like that of a church elder brother. A Democratic Party official said, "Especially Jeong Cheong-rae, a Supreme Council member, often uses this title and maintains a close relationship." Park’s office is famous as a 'place where promotions do not happen.' It is explained that personnel changes are relatively few, reducing promotion opportunities, but the atmosphere is known to be good. In fact, Park’s office currently has staff members who have worked together for more than five years.

◆Traditional bureaucrat vs. accountant background… potential clash of different economic views = In the political world, expectations and concerns coexist regarding the two new ruling and opposition floor leaders. Both sides agree on the need for cooperation to promptly process livelihood bills, but they differ on the support methods. In particular, Park has announced plans to propose a special law for a 250,000 won support payment to all citizens as the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly, which is expected to cause future conflicts. Since Chu maintained a stance opposing supplementary budgets for sound fiscal management during his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister last year, it is anticipated that reconciling differences between the two sides will not be easy.