Song Eonseok "Ahn Cheolsoo's Resignation as Innovation Committee Chair Perplexing... Respect His Candidacy for Party Leader"

Conflict Between Song Eonseok and Ahn Cheolsoo Over Personnel Reform
Ahn Cheolsoo Chooses to Run for Party Leader Instead of Serving as Innovation Committee Chair

Song Eonseok, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, expressed that he felt "regretful and perplexed" on July 7 regarding Representative Ahn Cheolsoo's announcement that he would not take on the role of Innovation Committee Chair and would instead run in the party convention.

Song Eonseok, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

Speaking with reporters at the main building of the National Assembly that morning, Song stated, "If Representative Ahn had given even a hint in advance that he would declare his candidacy for the party convention today, the Emergency Response Committee would not have voted on the Innovation Committee agenda today. That is unfortunate," he said.

Earlier that morning, Representative Ahn held a press conference and declared, "I refuse to accept an Innovation Committee that was pushed through without consensus. I will run in the party convention. I will challenge myself to become the innovative party leader of the People Power Party."

Regarding his decision to step down as Innovation Committee Chair, Ahn explained, "I accepted the offer to chair the Innovation Committee out of a desperate desire to reform the party, but I encountered a huge barrier before I could even open the door to innovation. I believed that we needed to take concrete action for at least minimal personnel reform and discussed this with the Emergency Response Committee, but we could not reach an agreement."

It was explained that Ahn had demanded the personnel reform of two individuals responsible for the candidate replacement controversy during the last presidential election, but there was a difference of opinion between him and Chairman Song on this issue.

Song stated, "Representative Ahn is one of the very few and extremely valuable icons of innovation in our party. I do not know what words or misunderstandings may have occurred in the process, but from the beginning, I said I would do my utmost to respect what Representative Ahn proposed."

He added, "Through the presidential election white paper, we will organize the facts of the last presidential election process. Once it is determined which parts require accountability, which do not, and who should be held responsible, we will be able to take action through the Innovation Committee, Emergency Response Committee, and so on. That is the proper order of things," he explained.

Regarding the personnel reform targets nominated by Ahn, Song said, "I respect all the proposals for innovation made by various figures inside and outside the party who believe our party needs to change. The Innovation Committee was established to sufficiently gather opinions and formulate innovation measures."

He continued, "It would have been better if the Innovation Committee had been launched normally today and we could have organized many innovation tasks, but in the current situation, I feel perplexed and regretful. At the same time, I respect Representative Ahn's intention to hold an 'innovation party convention' by running in the convention."