"Ahn Cheolsoo Driven by Ambition as Han Donghoon Bows Out... Kwon Sungdong Also Pushes Back Against 'Double Kwon Reform'"

Kwon Sungdong Criticizes Ahn Cheolsoo's Bid for Party Leader
"Driven by Ambition Amid Possibility of Han Donghoon Not Running"
"Contradictory to Speak of Innovation... He Himself Is the Target for Reform"

Former People Power Party floor leader Kwon Sungdong criticized Representative Ahn Cheolsoo, who announced his resignation as chairman of the Innovation Committee and his intention to run for party leader, stating, "It is deeply regrettable to see someone prioritize personal advancement even in the current crisis." On July 8, Kwon wrote on his social media (SNS), "Representative Ahn abruptly resigned as chairman of the Innovation Committee, singled out myself and Representative Kwon Youngse as targets for 'personnel reform,' and then declared his candidacy for the upcoming party convention."

Representative Kwon Sungdong of the People Power Party, who announced his resignation from the floor leader position on the 9th of last month. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Kwon continued, "On June 30, Representative Ahn visited my office and we discussed various issues at length. At that time, Ahn emphasized that the vision of the Innovation Committee would focus on reforming the Yeouido Institute and renewing party policies, and he clearly stated that he had 'no intention whatsoever' of running in the party convention. There was also no mention at all of personnel reform." He added, "The background to this sudden 'Ahn Cheolsoo operation' over the weekend has already been revealed through various channels. It seems that those around Ahn encouraged his ambitions by suggesting that the possibility of former leader Han Donghoon running was low."

He said, "There were irresponsible proposals that targeting the so-called 'double Kwon' (Kwon Youngse and Kwon Sungdong) for personnel reform would be advantageous for winning the party leadership, and in the end, Ahn was consumed by his desire for the position and accepted this suggestion." He went on, "It is not wrong for a politician to seek major party positions. However, it is wrong to use the hard-won energy for innovation, gathered under difficult circumstances, as fuel for one's own political ambitions. Moreover, this has caused significant harm to the fellow members of the Innovation Committee who made difficult decisions."

He further criticized, "Above all, using the important role of Innovation Committee chairman as a spotlight for one's own advancement makes one a target for innovation themselves. To now speak of innovation again and mention running in the party convention is truly contradictory."

Kwon stated, "The party's innovation cannot be achieved through any individual's pursuit of status or political maneuvering. It must be driven by fair procedures, deliberation, and the trust of the people and party members. We must not forget that stirring up confusion with divisive rhetoric and seeking personal advancement amid that confusion can never succeed."

Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the People Power Party and chairman of the Innovation Committee, announced his resignation as chairman and his intention to run in the party convention on the 7th at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Yonhap News

The previous day, Ahn stated, "In order to show the public our determination for innovation, I judged that we needed to take at least minimal personnel reform as action first. I held several discussions with the Emergency Response Committee, but we could not reach an agreement," and announced his resignation as chairman of the Innovation Committee. When asked about the targets of the 'minimal personnel reform,' he replied, "Two people," and explained, "They are individuals who held positions of political responsibility during the last presidential election." This has been interpreted as referring to former Emergency Response Committee chairman Kwon Youngse and former floor leader Kwon Sungdong.

Representative Kwon Youngse also immediately pushed back against this so-called 'double Kwon reform' theory. On July 7, he wrote on social media, "It is truly deplorable that, in these difficult times, some individuals are disguising their pursuit of personal interests as if it were for the public good or reform, and are driving the party into internal strife with such despicable behavior. Even more deplorable is the fact that such behavior is increasingly common within the party."

He added, "People who act this way are inevitably very self-righteous. Even when there has been no internal deliberation, they insist that whatever they propose is reform, and if anyone opposes them, they label them as reactionary. If such people actually become leaders, our party will face even greater difficulties and will not be able to escape endless internal conflict and chaos."