Sixteen Second-Term People Power Party Lawmakers Request Members' Meeting to Discuss Party Reform

Sixteen Second-Term Lawmakers Issue Second Statement
"Hold Members' Meeting Before Floor Leader Election"
"Clarify Position on Extension of Kim Yongtae's Term"

Sixteen second-term lawmakers from the People Power Party have demanded that the party's floor leadership convene a members' meeting to discuss party reform measures before the election of the new floor leader scheduled for June 16.

On the 9th, at the People Power Party's members' meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, members listened to the remarks of Kwon Seongdong, the party's floor leader, who declared his resignation from the floor leader position. Photo by Yonhap News

On June 12, the "Meeting of Second-Term Lawmakers Seeking Party Reform" issued a statement expressing their disappointment and regret over the cancellation of the members' meeting that was scheduled for the previous day, which was called off via text message 40 minutes before it was to begin.

The statement was signed by Kang Min-guk, Kwon Youngjin, Kim Mi-ae, Kim Seungsoo, Kim Yeji, Kim Hyungdong, Park Sooyoung, Park Jungha, Bae Junyoung, Bae Hyunjin, Seo Beomsoo, Um Taeyoung, Lee Sungkwon, Cho Eunhee, Cho Junghoon, and Choi Hyungdoo.

They requested the floor leadership to reconvene a members' meeting to discuss party reform measures before the floor leader election scheduled for 2 p.m. on June 16 (or at least on the morning of June 16, Monday).

In addition, they called on the candidates running for the next floor leader position to publicly state their positions on the party reform measures proposed by the Meeting of Second-Term Lawmakers Seeking Party Reform on June 10, as well as on the extension of Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Yongtae's term.

Previously, on June 10, they had demanded that the party extend Chairman Kim's term until a new leadership is formed through the party convention, and that the party prepare concrete implementation plans for the reform proposals suggested by Chairman Kim.

On this day at the National Assembly, Kwon Youngjin told reporters, "Unilaterally canceling a members' meeting that was supposed to discuss party reform cannot be considered the right thing to do," and added, "There are matters that should be handed over to the next floor leadership, and there are matters that the current leadership must resolve."

He continued, "The request of the 16 second-term lawmakers is that the members' meeting for party reform should be held before the floor leader election, so we have asked the floor leadership to seriously consider and convene the meeting," and added, "I believe the decision will be made by the floor leadership."