Handonghun, Policy Committee Chair to Be Decided Soon... Song Seokjun and Kim Seongwon Mentioned

Handonghun Accelerates Efforts to Secure Party Control
Korea "Will Proceed by Embracing Change and Public Sentiment"
Jeong Jeongsik Refuses to Answer Questions About Resignation

The leadership of the People Power Party under Han Dong-hoon is accelerating efforts to consolidate control over the party by demanding the collective resignation of party officials whose appointment and dismissal authority lies with the party leader. In particular, it is expected that the appointment of the Policy Committee Chairperson, who will implement Han Dong-hoon's policies and support the party leader in the Supreme Council, will soon be made.

On the morning of the 1st, when a reporter asked Han on his way to the National Assembly whether he had received any contact from Jeong Jeom-sik, the Policy Committee Chairperson, regarding his resignation, Han stated, "I will calmly and properly proceed with personnel matters in accordance with the party's changes and public sentiment."

Earlier, on the afternoon of the 31st of last month, Seo Beom-su, the Secretary-General, after meeting Han, told reporters, "For new changes, I hope that party officials whose appointment and dismissal authority lies with the party leader will resign collectively." This was a demand implicitly aimed at Jeong, the ex officio Supreme Council member, to resign. Han's side claims that by using the card of collective resignation of party officials, they are giving Jeong an opportunity to voluntarily step down.

People Power Party Policy Committee Chairman Jeong Jeomsik (right) is entering the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 1st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Accordingly, attention is focused on the appointment of the new Policy Committee Chairperson. Traditionally, the Policy Committee Chairperson has been a three-term senior lawmaker, and considering that Seo Beom-su, whose constituency is Ulsan Ulju-gun, was appointed Secretary-General, political circles analyze that the new Policy Committee Chairperson is likely to be a three-term lawmaker from Gyeonggi Province. This is intended to balance the ratio between Yeongnam and the Seoul metropolitan area. Accordingly, the next Policy Committee Chairperson candidates include Kim Seong-won (Gyeonggi Dongducheon·Yangju·Yeoncheon) and Song Seok-jun (Gyeonggi Icheon). Kim served as the floor deputy leader and head of the Yeouido Research Institute during the 21st National Assembly and currently chairs the People Power Party's Energy Special Committee. Song, a close ally, served as chair of the Real Estate Normalization Special Committee and vice chair of the Policy Committee during the 21st National Assembly.

However, since Jeong has not expressed his position on whether to resign, there is a possibility of internal conflict in the future. When asked by reporters at the National Assembly about Seo Beom-su's demand for collective resignation, Jeong remained silent, saying, "I will not respond to that."