Seohun Oh, Hyeongjun Park, and Na Kyungwon, Senior Ruling Party Members, Say "Yongsan Must Take Responsibility, Handonghun Should Initiate Communication"

O Se-hoon, Park Hyung-jun, Kwon Young-se, Kim Ki-hyun, Na Kyung-won Meeting
"Still Remember the Confidence at the Launch of the Yoon Government"
"Neglecting Duty if Shaken by Special Prosecutor, Must Restore Government and Ruling Party's Integrity"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon, and senior members of the People Power Party, including lawmakers Kwon Young-se, Kim Ki-hyun, and Na Kyung-won, expressed their lament on the 29th over the government and ruling party's leadership vacuum, stating that "the government and ruling party must restore their true identity."

Mayor Oh and others held a breakfast meeting at a restaurant in Seoul that day and issued a joint statement afterward. They said, "Politics has become a source of concern for the people," and "we agreed on the necessity to return to politics that serves the nation and its citizens."

They criticized the ruling party's internal conflicts. They said, "At the grassroots level, citizens facing the shadow of economic recession are desperately voicing their suffering. However, politics has turned its back on this and fallen into the swamp of power politics marked by political strife and division," adding, "The fact that only the internal strife between the president and the party leader stands out within the forces responsible for national interest and public welfare is truly a sign of political leadership failure."

On the morning of the 29th, at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, Assemblyman Kwon Young-se (from the right, counterclockwise), Assemblyman Kim Ki-hyun, Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon held a breakfast meeting. Photo by Seoul City

They also clearly opposed the ruling party's internal support for the opposition parties' demand for a special prosecution. They stated, "If the ruling party wavers just because the opposition is focused on seizing power and dedicates itself to a special prosecution, it is a clear dereliction of duty," and added, "There must be no further confusion. We must maintain our center as a conservative party and as the ruling party."

Regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol, they said, "We still remember the deep sense of responsibility and confident declaration of 'The buck stops here,' meaning 'all responsibility lies with me,' when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration was launched," and "We hope the presidential office returns to that sense of responsibility and confidence and takes the lead in resolving current issues that are hindering state affairs with a spirit of taking responsibility."

They also urged the party, saying, "We hope you engage in communication to gather consensus both inside and outside the party, rather than deepening conflicts in resolving current issues." They added, "While resolving public suspicions arising around the highest power holders is an important task, if the political sphere becomes obsessed only with that issue and neglects the essence, the nation's future will inevitably be bleak," and "Before the public's patience reaches its limit, the government and ruling party must restore their true identity."

Below is the full text of the joint statement.

< What is Politics? >

Dear respected citizens,

Today, senior members who have long served the party gathered to assess the political situation and agreed on the necessity to return to politics that serves the nation and its people.

The essence of politics is 'common prosperity' for the people, that is, creating a world where everyone lives well together. However, politics has now become a source of concern for the people. As politicians, we feel deeply apologetic and bear a profound sense of responsibility.

The Republic of Korea stands on a precipice amid great power hegemonic competition and simultaneous multiple wars. At the grassroots level, citizens facing the shadow of economic recession are desperately voicing their suffering. However, politics has turned its back on this and fallen into the swamp of power politics marked by political strife and division.

First and foremost, the government and ruling party responsible for state affairs bear a great responsibility. Within the forces responsible for national interest and public welfare, the internal strife between the president and the party leader stands out, which can only be described as a lack of political leadership.

This has led to a situation where the judiciary is intimidated for the purpose of shielding the party leader, and there is an attempt to usurp power through impeachment under the 'activist politics' framework. Even if the opposition is focused on seizing power and dedicates itself to a special prosecution, if the ruling party wavers, it is a clear dereliction of duty.

There must be no further confusion. We must maintain our center as a conservative party and as the ruling party. We must be infinitely humble before the power entrusted by the people. And intellectually and morally, we must strive.

We still remember the deep sense of responsibility and confident declaration of “The buck stops here,” meaning “all responsibility lies with me,” when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration was launched. We hope the presidential office returns to that sense of responsibility and confidence and takes the lead in resolving current issues that are hindering state affairs with a spirit of taking responsibility.

The party must devote itself to enabling the people to live better lives. While actively supporting policies that correct the misguided governance of the previous administration, we hope the party engages in communication to gather consensus both inside and outside the party, rather than deepening conflicts in resolving current issues. Through this, we must offer hope to the suffering people with policies of livelihood, innovation, and unity that overwhelm the opposition.

There is no 'people’s life' in the current political strife. While resolving public suspicions arising around the highest power holders is an important task, if the political sphere becomes obsessed only with that issue and neglects the essence, the nation's future will inevitably be bleak.

Before the public's patience reaches its limit, the government and ruling party must restore their true identity. We must find the way through the spirit of unity and the restoration of rational dialogue. We will also do our best on the path to finding a ruling party identity for common prosperity.