[PPP Leadership Candidate Interview] Joo Jinwoo: "Introducing Lawmaker Evaluation System... Pro-Yoon Faction Must Also Serve to Survive"

Joo Jinwoo, People Power Party Leadership Candidate Interview
"Factionalism and Clique Politics Must Not Take Root"
"If Elected, I Will Apologize for Yoon-Related Issues and Bring Closure"
"Will Accept Reforms That Do Not Threaten the Constitutional Amendment Blocking Line"

Representative Joo Jinwoo, who declared his candidacy for the leadership of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the National Assembly on July 28, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

A first-term political newcomer has entered the race for leadership of the People Power Party. As a former prosecutor, he has personal connections with former President Yoon Suk-yeol and former party leader Han Donghoon, but he rejects factionalism, including both pro-Yoon and pro-Han groups, and positions himself as part of the centrist bloc. This is Representative Joo Jinwoo, who recently stood out as the 'frontline attacker' for the opposition during recent personnel hearings.

In an interview with Asia Economy at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the 28th, Representative Joo said, "Even I am not sure whether I am pro-Yoon or pro-Han, as I have maintained a neutral stance without any factional ties," and expressed confidence that he would unite the divided People Power Party "by seeking agreement from the majority of lawmakers (from the Yeongnam region) and embracing the minority (the reformist faction)."

Representative Joo proposed several internal reform measures, including ▲a multi-dimensional evaluation system for lawmakers ▲recorded votes at the general assembly of lawmakers ▲a leadership centered on first-term members. He said, "I will introduce a multi-dimensional evaluation system for lawmakers and link it to the nomination system," and added, "Even members of the pro-Yoon faction, if they dedicate themselves to the party, can survive under this system."

The following is a Q&A with Representative Joo.

Representative Joo Jinwoo, who declared his candidacy for the leadership of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the National Assembly on July 28, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

-When you announced your candidacy, you said those responsible in the past should step back and serve the party. Who in the party specifically should step back, and how?

▲Those who held key party positions during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration must clearly step down from leading roles in shaping the party’s voice. From now on, key positions such as party leader and Supreme Council members should be filled with first-term lawmakers to bring freshness to the party.

-Is that enough to regain the public’s trust?

▲If this were a normal situation, I would have called for bold personnel reforms. However, we must consider the current political reality. Purging people means expelling them from the party, but doing so would break the constitutional amendment blocking line and could strengthen President Lee Jaemyung’s authoritarian system or create a favorable structure for long-term rule.

-What is the core of the 'Joo Jinwoo reform plan'?

▲Even if a few people are replaced, there is no guarantee that their successors won’t make similar mistakes. We must reform the party’s system. True reform is to revise the party constitution and regulations so that the clique culture centered on senior lawmakers and factional politics cannot take root. Currently, the People Power Party’s general assembly of lawmakers approves decisions with a simple show of hands. A few senior members make decisions, and the general assembly merely executes them. This is not democratic. We need real debates, and important decisions must be made through recorded votes.

-You proposed introducing a multi-dimensional evaluation system for lawmakers.

▲Fellow lawmakers and party members will evaluate lawmakers’ legislative activities about twice a year, and this will be linked to the nomination system. This way, lawmakers will compete with each other to properly fulfill their roles as the opposition. Even members of the pro-Yoon faction, if they work hard and dedicate themselves to the party, can survive under this system and regain public trust.

-What is your position on severing ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol?

▲For our party to survive, we must stop talking about the past. There is no way to reverse the impeachment, and former President Yoon cannot return. The administration ended with the impeachment, and we also lost the presidential election. We are still bearing political responsibility. If I become party leader, I will offer a proper apology and bring closure to the matter.

Representative Joo Jinwoo, who declared his candidacy for the leadership of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the National Assembly on July 28, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

-The People Power Party has been split into extremes, such as 'pro-Yoon vs. pro-Han' and 'pro-impeachment vs. anti-impeachment.' Is integration possible?

▲Instead of excessively pressuring those who seek reform and renewal, we must accept, at least to some extent, reform proposals that do not threaten the constitutional amendment blocking line, even if we do not fully agree with them, to earn public trust that the party is renewing itself. In this respect, the majority (senior lawmakers from Yeongnam) need to be more respectful of the opinions of the minority (those from the Seoul metropolitan area and the reformist faction).

-Do you think measures such as expulsion are necessary for Jeon Hangil, who advocates election fraud theories and 'Yoon Again'?

▲If I were the party leader and Mr. Jeon applied for party membership, I would not have accepted him. If Mr. Jeon's political activities do not align with our party’s principles, they constitute a breach of party discipline and must be dealt with firmly.

-The Democratic Party is advocating moderate conservatism, while the People Power Party is embroiled in far-right controversies. The position of the conservative party seems precarious.

▲Even if the Democratic Party talks about conservatism, there are several things they cannot do. Our party must target those areas. First, there is the Korea-US tariff negotiation. The Democratic Party claims it is not anti-American, but it fundamentally has such ideological tendencies. Second, there is real estate policy. Because the Democratic Party tends to shun investment income resulting from rising housing prices, it only tries to control demand and does not increase supply. The People Power Party maintains a firm conservative ideology in the area of the market economy.