People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairmanship: Consensus on 'Senior Members' and 'Concurrent Floor Leader'... Party Meeting Held Today

Kwon Young-se, Kim Ki-hyun, Na Kyung-won in the Assembly
Won Hee-ryong, Kim Moo-sung outside the Assembly mentioned
Discussion on Kwon Seong-dong holding both Assembly Leader and Emergency Committee Chair
Some say "Is it right for someone who opposed impeachment to take the role?"

After the entire leadership of the People Power Party resigned, the party is consolidating the consensus that a senior lawmaker within the party or Kwon Seong-dong, the acting party leader and floor leader, should concurrently serve as the new emergency committee chairman to manage the impeachment crisis.

The People Power Party plans to continue discussions on the appointment of the emergency committee chairman during an emergency party meeting at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 18th. Although the topic was also discussed at the party meeting held on the 16th, the consensus was that an experienced internal figure should lead the emergency committee, but no conclusion was reached.

In this appointment of the emergency committee chairman, senior lawmakers within the party are being mentioned more frequently than fresh outsiders. Initially, senior floor members such as Kwon Young-se, Kim Ki-hyun, and Na Kyung-won were considered. It is believed that having a senior internal figure rather than a mercenary lead the emergency committee will stabilize the party atmosphere, which has been divided due to the emergency decree and the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol, and lead the opposition struggle against the Democratic Party and others.

Given the possibility of an early presidential election depending on the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Yoon's impeachment trial, there is also an opinion that leadership experience is necessary. Conversely, since senior floor members voted against the impeachment motion and faced public criticism, names of senior figures outside the National Assembly, such as former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong and former Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung, are also being mentioned for their potential to broaden the party's appeal.

Recently, voices advocating that Acting Leader Kwon should concurrently serve as the emergency committee chairman have been spreading. In the predecessor party of the People Power Party, the Saenuri Party, there was a precedent in May 2014 when then floor leader Lee Wan-koo concurrently served as emergency committee chairman for two months until the party convention was held in July after then leader Hwang Woo-yeo's term ended, so it is considered not to be a problem. Additionally, amid the extreme confrontation between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party during President Yoon's impeachment phase, it is said that Kwon Seong-dong, who is an alumnus of Chung-Ang University Law School and has a friendly relationship with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, might be able to engage in some policy dialogue.

Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, is talking with Kwon Seong-dong and Kwon Young-se at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

However, Acting Leader Kwon is cautious about this atmosphere. When reporters at the National Assembly mentioned the idea of Kwon concurrently serving as emergency committee chairman, he said, "No one has directly talked to me about it," and added, "I will listen to the opinions of the lawmakers at today's party meeting." Park Soo-min, the party floor spokesperson, also mentioned on MBC Radio that "everything is open. We are considering all options without excluding any."

On the other hand, there are criticisms within the party, especially from the young faction who supported President Yoon's impeachment, that senior floor members should not lead the emergency committee. Kim Sang-wook, who voted for the lifting of the emergency decree and supported the impeachment motion on the 14th, stated on YTN Radio, "It is clear that some people should not be allowed to lead," and argued, "Those who were close to the president, shared his tendencies, or were responsible for the emergency decree should never become leaders." Jo Kyung-tae, the longest-serving (six-term) member of the People Power Party, also expressed doubts on SBS Radio the day before, saying, "If someone who opposed the impeachment sits as the emergency committee chairman, can the People Power Party really win the presidential election next year?"