Future Korea Party, De Facto 'Reestablishment'... Will They Revert Proportional Representation Candidate List?

Representative Won Yoo-chul, who was appointed as the leader of the Future Korea Party, holds a press conference at the party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Future Korea Party, which had conflicts with the United Future Party over the proportional representation nomination controversy, is effectively undergoing a reestablishment. The leadership is being newly formed with personnel from the United Future Party, and the nomination management committee is likely to be reorganized. Even the proportional representation recommendation plan, which former leader Han Seon-gyo insisted must not be changed, has become inevitably subject to revision, returning everything to square one.

On the morning of the 20th, the Future Korea Party held a general assembly at its Yeongdeungpo headquarters in Seoul and established a leadership system with five-term United Future Party lawmaker Won Yoo-chul as party leader and United Future Party talent recruitment committee chairman Yeom Dong-yeol as party secretary-general. Jang Seok-chun, who defected from the United Future Party the day before and joined them, will serve as a supreme council member. This new supreme council, composed of United Future Party members, was formed just one day after the previous supreme council resigned en masse taking responsibility for the proportional representation list being rejected by the electorate.

With the new supreme council formed, the nomination management committee that prepared the proportional representation recommendation plan is also highly likely to be completely reorganized. Previously, the committee had partially revised the first proportional representation recommendation plan and presented a second plan, but this too was rejected by the electorate. Most of the electorate are from the United Future Party’s provincial parties, and within the United Future Party there is a strong perception that the entire proportional representation list needs to be revised. To completely replace the proportional representation list, replacing the nomination committee chairman is essential.

However, nomination committee chairman Gong Byung-ho has clearly stated that he will not step down, saying that the proportional representation list can be revised and supplemented as much as needed. On the morning of the same day, he appeared on YTN Radio’s 'Noh Young-hee’s Start of a New Morning' and said, "The election is just around the corner, and while it would be easier for me to just resign, I should not do that," adding, "Since I am in charge, I am determined to quickly resolve the matter within a day or two through revisions and supplements."

Former leader Han held a press conference at the Yeongdeungpo headquarters in Seoul the day before and requested that the existing proportional representation recommendation plan not be changed, but regardless of the nomination committee’s continuation, revising the proportional representation plan has become inevitable. Only the question of whether it will be a full-scale or moderate reorganization remains. Former leader Han also said, "If the list within the top 20 is changed, I will not remain silent."

Accordingly, the Future Korea Party, which was launched on the 5th of last month, is effectively undergoing a reestablishment in less than two months. Following the large-scale transfer of United Future Party personnel on the 19th, additional dispatches are also likely to continue. Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party, told reporters right after the launch ceremony of the election committee on the 20th that when asked if there was an intention to dispatch more personnel or expel members, "I will judge according to the situation," leaving the possibility open.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.