No Official Party Statement on Kim Keonhee's Appearance Before the Special Prosecutor
People Power Party to Announce Main Election Candidates for National Convention on the 7th
Ahn Cheolsoo, a lawmaker running for party leader in the People Power Party's 8·22 National Convention, commented on First Lady Kim Keonhee's appearance before the special prosecutor Min Junggi's team for questioning, saying, "I hope she fulfills her responsibilities with sincerity." On the 6th, Ahn posted on his social media, "The magnitude of authority is proportional to the magnitude of responsibility. How can you say you are a nobody?"
This was in response to Kim Keonhee's remarks earlier that day, when she appeared at the special prosecutor's office and said, "I sincerely apologize to the people for causing concern as someone like me, who is a nobody." Kim became the first First Lady in South Korean constitutional history to be publicly summoned by an investigative agency and to stand before the press photo line.
Ahn also recalled two previous statements: one from the presidential office during the 2023 party convention process, "If you say nothing, nothing will happen" (February 8, 2023), and another from President Yoon Sukyeol, who, during his testimony at the Constitutional Court earlier this year, said regarding the 12·3 Martial Law, "Nothing happened" (February 4, 2025). Ahn reiterated, "Do not embarrass the people who have supported the conservative government."
Unlike Ahn Cheolsoo, the People Power Party has not issued an official party-level statement regarding Kim Keonhee's appearance before the special prosecutor as a suspect. Song Eonseok, acting leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, responded to questions from reporters at a National Assembly press conference by saying, "I have nothing particular to add on that matter," and "If the investigation is necessary for fact-finding and truth verification, I believe it is entirely possible."
On the 7th, the People Power Party will announce the candidates advancing to the main election for party leader and Supreme Council member. The party's election management committee will hold a meeting at the Yeouido headquarters in Seoul in the morning to finalize the main election candidates based on the results of the preliminary round. The selection will be based on a 50% weighting each for votes from dues-paying party members and a public opinion poll, narrowing the field to four candidates for party leader and eight for Supreme Council member.
On the 5th, posters of the five candidates running for the People Power Party leadership election were displayed in the National Assembly hallway. From left to right, the candidates are Jang Donghyuk, Ahn Cheolsoo, Joo Jinwoo, Cho Kyungtae, and Kim Moonsu. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Currently, there are five candidates who advanced to the preliminary round for party leader: Kim Moonsu, Ahn Cheolsoo, Jang Donghyuk, Cho Kyungtae, and Joo Jinwoo (listed in Korean alphabetical order), with one of them expected to be eliminated. For the Supreme Council, 12 candidates are running: Kim Geunsik, Kim Minsu, Kim Jaewon, Kim Taewoo, Son Beomgyu, Shin Dongwook, Yang Hyangja, Jang Youngha, Choi Sujin, Ham Unkyung, Hong Seokjun, and Hwang Sihyuk, of whom four will be eliminated. To this end, the People Power Party conducted voting among dues-paying party members and a public opinion poll over two days starting from the 5th. The main election is scheduled to take place over two days, August 20-21, two weeks after the candidate shortlist is finalized.
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