Resistance Outside the Assembly as Well... Kim Yongtae's Reform Proposals at a Crossroads

Only Differences Confirmed on Five Major Reform Proposals
Momentum for Reform Lost
At a Crossroads: Push Ahead or Voluntarily Step Down

Kim Yongtae, the emergency committee chair of the People Power Party, who has put forward party reform measures, has faced strong resistance not only within the National Assembly but also from outside the party. With momentum hard to find, he now stands at a crossroads?whether to push ahead with the reform proposals or to set them aside.

On June 10, Kim held a meeting with local party chapter heads outside the National Assembly to discuss five major reform proposals, including the next leadership structure. About 60 chapter heads, roughly half of the total, attended the meeting. The debate lasted for about two and a half hours, with Kim even returning to the meeting after a scheduled meeting with Woo Sangho, the presidential chief of staff for political affairs. Despite the lengthy discussions, only differences of opinion regarding the so-called five major reform proposals were confirmed.

In particular, there was strong backlash regarding a proposed party audit over the presidential candidate replacement controversy and the invalidation of the party's official stance against the president's impeachment. One chapter head said, "Some pointed out that this is a time to intensify our fight against the ruling party, so why are we creating internal strife like this?" He added, "There were repeated calls to fight as a united front for now."

Regarding Kim's position, some expressed that his resignation is inevitable. Another chapter head explained, "No one directly called for his resignation, but there was a consensus that things should proceed according to due process. Extending his term could undermine the significance of the reform proposals."

Kim is now forced to consider whether to confront the internal and external resistance head-on or to voluntarily step down. Kim stated, "Lawmakers only need to answer whether they will accept the reform proposals I have presented or not. If they keep talking about procedures and terms, it will be interpreted as a lack of willingness to accept the reforms."

There are also expectations that Kim may push through the reforms by conducting a party member survey or public opinion poll. A People Power Party official said, "Organizing these discussions could be a way to justify pushing the reforms. Since party member votes or opinion polls are not matters for the emergency committee to decide, they can be conducted at any time."

On the other hand, some believe Kim will step down without being able to implement the reforms. They argue that, having lost momentum, it will be realistically difficult to push the reforms within his term. With President Lee Jaemyung pushing through the three special prosecutor bills at a cabinet meeting, there are growing calls to focus on attacks against the ruling party. One People Power Party lawmaker pointed out, "For the party to be reborn, it is more important to act on reforms than to discuss their content. The leadership should start by taking responsibility for the presidential election defeat and stepping down; it is not right for those who should resign to be proposing reforms."

Meanwhile, Kim is scheduled to continue discussions on party management by holding a general assembly of lawmakers and a meeting with the party's standing advisory council later in the day.