Kim Minjeon and In Yohan Join Hands with Won Heeryong
Park Junghoon and Jang Donghyuk Together with Han Donghoon
Na Kyungwon and Yoon Sanghyun Oppose 'Running Mate'
The People Power Party's July 23 leadership election will be a four-way race between Na Kyung-won, Won Hee-ryong, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Han Dong-hoon. The competition for supreme councilor positions to support each candidate has also intensified.
According to the People Power Party on the 25th, four candidates have entered the race for party leader: Representative Na Kyung-won, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, Representative Yoon Sang-hyun, and former Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon. Candidates for supreme councilor positions to run alongside the party leader candidates have also declared their candidacies.
Among the incumbent lawmakers, four have declared their candidacy for supreme councilor: Representatives Kim Min-jeon, Park Jung-hoon, In Yo-han, and Jang Dong-hyuk. Representatives Jang and Park held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office the day before to officially announce their candidacy as running mates of former Chairman Han. Representatives In and Kim are running alongside former Minister Won in this election.
Additionally, outside the National Assembly, Park Yong-chan (Seoul Yeongdeungpo-eul), Lee Sang-gyu (Seoul Seongbuk-eul), and Ham Woon-kyung (Seoul Mapo-eul), who ran in the 22nd general election as party district committee chairpersons, have entered the race. Former supreme councilor Kim Jae-won, who served under the Kim Ki-hyun leadership but resigned, is running again.
Kim Se-ui, head of the Garosero Research Institute, and Kim Hyung-dae, chairman of the Gangnam District Council, have also thrown their hats into the ring.
There are a total of 11 candidates for the youth supreme councilor position. Incumbent Representative Jin Jong-oh is partnering with former Chairman Han, and Park Jin-ho (Gyeonggi Gimpo-gap) party district committee chairperson is running as a running mate of former Minister Won. Other candidates include lawyer Kim So-yeon, former Representative Kim Eun-hee, former People Power Party youth spokesperson Kim Jeong-sik, former youth vice chairman Park Sang-hyun, former Rebuild Korea representative Park Jun-hyung, former acting chairman of the Central Youth Committee Park Hong-jun, Seoul Jung-gu Council member Son Ju-ha, former Youth Policy Network Special Committee member Ahn Dong-hyun, and Hong Yong-min, external cooperation director of the Korea Mold Technology Society.
Meanwhile, Representatives Na and Yoon have expressed negative views on the running mate system, where the party leader candidate teams up with a specific supreme councilor candidate for the leadership election. On the 23rd, Representative Na said, "You must have seen that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has running mates like Choo Mi-ae and Jung Cheong-rae, but the running mate politics itself is too outdated for Yeouido politics." Representative Yoon also stated on the same day, "Running mates violate party rules and regulations," and requested action from Seo Byung-soo, the former election management committee chairman.
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