Ahn Cheolsoo: "Apologizing to Party Members and the Public Comes Before Assigning Blame for Election Defeat"

"Kim Yongtae's Term Decision in June Must Come Before the September Party Convention"
"We Must Apologize to the Public and Party Members First; Renewal Comes After"

Kim Yongtae, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Ahn Cheolsoo, Co-Chairman of the Joint Election Committee, wore serious expressions as they reviewed the exit poll results at the People Power Party's vote counting situation room for the 21st presidential election, set up at the National Assembly Library on the 3rd. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Representative Ahn Cheolsoo of the People Power Party stated that, rather than shifting blame for the presidential election defeat, what is needed is genuine reflection, self-examination, and analysis. He also said that Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Yongtae should clarify his position regarding the end of his term before announcing plans for the party convention.

On June 9, Representative Ahn wrote on his Facebook page, "Before discussing plans for the party convention on June 9, Chairman Kim Yongtae should first clarify his position regarding the end of his term as Emergency Response Committee Chairman, which is set to conclude at the end of June."

Representative Ahn remarked, "After our crushing defeat in the presidential election, what is the current state of our party? There is nothing but conflict and debate over who will run for party leadership and who is responsible for the defeat," adding, "Amidst this blame game, public trust in us is drifting even further away. The most important thing we must do now is to bow our heads and apologize to our party members and the public, and to engage in cool-headed and objective reflection and self-examination."

He also commented on the direction of Chairman Kim Yongtae. While mentioning the party convention scheduled for September, Ahn noted that failing to clearly state when he will step down could lead to unnecessary confusion and misunderstanding.

Representative Ahn explained, "It is essential to clarify how long the current Emergency Response Committee Chairman will remain in office so that the new floor leader can determine whether to serve alongside the chairman or concurrently hold the position, and so that the party convention schedule can be systematically managed. Only then will meaningful discussions about the party's future course become possible, and that is both the proper order and common sense."

He also emphasized the need for thorough analysis and reflection on the election defeat. In conclusion, he said, "We must accurately analyze where we fell short by social class, region, and generation. Without a cold, hard analysis of why and how we lost the trust of voters, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes," adding, "To sum up, first, we need sincere reflection; second, self-examination and analysis; and third, a concrete roadmap for renewal. Only by taking the first real step toward substantive innovation will the public begin to look to us again."