People Power Party Appoints New Spokespersons... Is Panel Certification System Next?

Four Official Spokespersons, Five Media Spokespersons
"Focusing on Media Appearances to Communicate the Party's Position"

People's Power Party leader Jang Donghyuk and other leadership members along with local lawmakers visited the temporary Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries office, the IM Building, in Dong-gu, Busan on the morning of the 15th to inspect the site. Photo by Yonhap News

On September 15, the People Power Party appointed a total of nine new spokespersons. This move is intended to strengthen their media presence and public relations efforts as the party intensifies its confrontation with the ruling bloc.

Park Sunghoon, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, announced after the Supreme Council meeting held in Busan that morning, "We conducted a closed-door preliminary meeting and discussed the appointment plan for the new spokespersons."

The newly appointed spokespersons include Kim Hyoeun, former head of the Osan City Party Committee in Gyeonggi Province and known as 'Reina,' a star instructor from EBS; Son Beomgyu, head of the Namdong-gu Gap Party Committee in Incheon; Lee Chunghyung, former spokesperson of the Central Election Countermeasures Committee; and Cho Yongsul, head of the Goyang-eul Party Committee in Gyeonggi Province.

Additionally, five individuals were selected as media spokespersons: Kim Gihung, former spokesperson; Park Minyoung, former spokesperson; Son Sujo, CEO of the Policy Research Institute Leaders; Lee Jaeneung, former deputy spokesperson; and Lee Junwoo, a member of the People Power Party's Special Committee for the Protection of Judicial Justice and Prevention of Dictatorship.

Chief spokesperson Park explained, "Spokespersons with significant media exposure (media spokespersons) will not work full-time, but will instead focus on appearing in media outlets such as television and radio to promptly communicate the party's position." He added, "The four official party spokespersons will work full-time to deliver the party's stance through official commentary."

The term of the new spokesperson team is six months, and Chief spokesperson Park stated, "If their performance is evaluated positively, their term may be extended."

The reason the People Power Party appointed media spokespersons is interpreted as an effort to strengthen the party's unified voice.

Previously, party leader Jang had announced through media interviews that the party would implement a panel certification system for official representatives of the People Power Party. This is intended to prevent party members from making remarks on television or radio that could harm the party.

In response, former party leader Han Donghoon criticized the move on his YouTube broadcast the previous night, saying, "Restricting the freedom to express independent thoughts freely eliminates the dynamism and positive aspects of politics," and added, "It is not practically feasible."