Park Yong-chan Announces Candidacy for Ruling Party Supreme Council Member: "Party's Inertia, a Critical Crisis Situation"

Creating the Party Member Communication Bureau
Promising Active Appointment of External Party Committee Chairs
External Chairs Expanding Their Roles Within the Party

Park Yong-chan, the head of the People Power Party's Yeongdeungpo-eul district committee in Seoul, announced on the 17th that he will run for the party's Supreme Council member election.

On the same day, Park explained the reason for his candidacy in a phone interview with Asia Economy, saying, "This decision came after careful consideration based on my convictions," and added, "I believe our party is too lethargic and is facing an existential crisis."

Park Yong-chan, the head of the People Power Party's Yeongdeungpo-eul district committee in Seoul, is appealing for support at the Yeongjin Market Samgeori intersection in Yeongdeungpo-gu during the April 10 general election this year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He said, "There was an urgent feeling that things cannot continue as they are," and added, "Although I am not the type to step forward easily, this time I decided to run without hesitation, sincerely from my heart."

At a press conference that day, Park proposed pledges including the introduction of a volunteer system, the establishment of a 'Party Member Communication Bureau' within the party, active appointment of out-of-office district committee heads, and the creation of a 'Special Committee on Election System Reform' to comprehensively review the election system.

Park, a politician with a background in journalism, ran for the Seoul Yeongdeungpo-eul seat in this year's general election but was narrowly defeated by Kim Min-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea by a margin of 1.15 percentage points.

Park belongs to 'Seongchalgwa Gak-o' (Reflection and Resolution), a group formed mainly by out-of-office district committee heads in the metropolitan area, which plans to select a Supreme Council candidate to represent them in the future. There is a possibility that Lee Sang-gyu, head of the Seoul Seongbuk-eul district committee, will also run.