[Turning Point for Yoon] ④ People Power Party Endures a 'History of Brutality' Under the President's Shadow

Despite Presidential and Local Election Victories, Party Leadership Faces Internal Turmoil
Lee Junseok Ousted After Suspension of Party Membership
With Han Donghoon at the Helm, Internal Power Dynamics Shift

Since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the leadership of the People Power Party has experienced such extreme turmoil that it has been described as a "history of brutality." Despite being the party that won both the presidential and local elections, its leadership changed frequently, resulting in a state of persistent confusion. Behind this chaos, the shadow of the presidential office loomed large.

At the time of the presidential election victory, the People Power Party was led by Chairman Lee Junseok (currently a member of the Reform New Party) and Floor Leader Kim Gi-hyeon. Ahead of the new administration's launch, Kim Gi-hyeon stepped down early, and Kwon Seong-dong was elected as the new floor leader at a general assembly. While the party appeared to be enjoying its heyday after consecutive victories in the presidential and local elections, it soon plunged into rapid turmoil.

Former People Power Party leader Lee Junseok is holding a press conference to announce his withdrawal from the party at a restaurant in Nowon-gu, Seoul on December 27, 2023. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

On July 8, 2022, the party's Ethics Committee made an unprecedented decision to suspend Chairman Lee Junseok's party membership over allegations of instructing the destruction of evidence related to a past sexual bribery scandal. This was followed by a series of resignations from Supreme Council members and legal battles, ultimately leading to the dissolution of the party leadership. In political circles, this series of events is seen as having been triggered by the uneasy relationship between President Yoon and Lee. In particular, Lee's proactive establishment of innovation committees and his push for reforms in candidate nominations for the general election are viewed as having brought the conflict to the forefront. During this period, the People Power Party went through a succession of short-lived interim leaderships, eventually transitioning to the emergency committee system led by Chung Jinseok.

In March last year, through a party convention, the People Power Party established the Kim Gi-hyeon leadership. However, both before and after the convention, there were repeated controversies over intervention in party affairs. Yoo Seung-min, a prominent contender for party leadership, announced he would not run. The main reason was a change in the rules-specifically, the elimination of the public opinion poll component through amendments to the party constitution and regulations. Another leading candidate, Na Kyung-won, also withdrew after internal strife.

Even Kim Gi-hyeon, who was tasked with leading the party into the general election, stepped down after less than 10 months. Following a defeat in the highly contested Seoul Gangseo-gu mayoral by-election and after the party's innovation committee demanded he not run in the general election, he resigned as party leader on December 12 last year. Subsequently, then-floor leader Yoon Jae-ok nominated Justice Minister Han Donghoon as the new emergency committee chair. The People Power Party, under Han Donghoon's emergency leadership just four months before the general election, went on to suffer a crushing defeat. Afterward, former leader Hwang Woo-yea, who had been away from frontline politics, stepped in as emergency committee chair, invoking the phrase "Noma Sikdo" (the wisdom of an old horse) to restore order.

After yet another party convention, the People Power Party chose Han Donghoon as its new leader. Unlike previous leaderships that emphasized loyalty to President Yoon, Han began differentiating himself from the presidential office from his candidacy announcement, referencing the Special Prosecutor Bill for Private Chae Sang-byeong on the condition of a third-party recommendation. Since then, Han has demanded change from the president on issues such as the controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee, taking a confrontational stance.

Han Donghoon, leader of the People Power Party, is arriving at the National Assembly on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Separate from the changes in leadership structure, a shift in internal dynamics is also being detected within the People Power Party. As the president's approval ratings have plummeted, lawmakers close to Han Donghoon have formed a sort of bloc, establishing a pro-Han faction. The day after Han's meeting with President Yoon ended without results, he held a dinner with 21 incumbent lawmakers and other key pro-Han figures to share the situation. In political circles, it is believed that as President Yoon becomes politically embattled due to allegations involving Myung Tae-gyun, Han's influence within the party is growing.