Kim Moonsoo Appoints Hong Junpyo as Executive Chairman in Bold Move Against Party Leadership

Kim's Campaign: "Hong Changes Travel Plans to Accept Executive Chairman Role"

Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, made a bold move within the party leadership on May 9 by appointing former Daegu Mayor Hong Junpyo, who had competed against him in the party primary, as the Executive Chairman of the Election Countermeasures Committee.

Kim's campaign announced to the media on the same day that former Mayor Hong had been appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Central Election Countermeasures Committee.

Although former Mayor Hong had declared his retirement from politics immediately after being eliminated in the second round of the People Power Party primary on April 29, he made a surprise return by accepting the position of Executive Chairman.

The campaign stated, "Former Mayor Hong had planned to leave for the United States on May 10, but he decided to change his plans and accept the role of Executive Chairman to help Kim win the election."

Kim and the party leadership continue to be locked in a standoff over the timing of unifying with former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo.

At a People Power Party general assembly held in the morning, Kim said, "The party leadership is still mobilizing all sorts of illegal and unjust means to oust me, Kim Moonsoo, and make an independent candidate our party's presidential nominee. I urge them to stop immediately."

He added, "The forced unification the party leadership is currently pursuing is nothing more than an attempt to remove me, Kim Moonsoo, and install an independent candidate as our party's presidential nominee. Therefore, I cannot comply."

Yonhap News Agency

Former Mayor Hong has also recently sided with Kim, strongly criticizing both the party leadership and former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo.

On the same day, Hong took to Facebook to target former Prime Minister Han and the party leadership, saying, "So this is how a bureaucratic career of more than 50 years ends in vain," and added, "One's journey is beautiful only if one exits gracefully, but if you are forced out while blinded by vain greed, all that remains is disgrace."

He continued, "This is not just irrationality, but anti-rationality," and harshly criticized, "Those who go along with it are no different."