'Bito' Reminds of 4 Years Ago... Dark Clouds Over United Party's Transition to Emergency Committee

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The United Future Party held a national committee meeting and approved the 'Kim Jong-in Emergency Response Committee (ERC)' system, but the transition to the ERC became uncertain as former chief election campaign chairman Kim Jong-in did not accept it. The main cause was the failure of the standing national committee meeting, reminiscent of the boycott of the national committee four years ago. The United Future Party plans to hold an executive committee meeting on the 29th to discuss countermeasures, but opinions within the party are deeply divided.

Kim Jae-won, the United Future Party’s Policy Committee Chair, said in an interview with TBS's 'Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory' on the morning of the 29th, "We will hold an executive meeting today to gather opinions on how to overcome this crisis," adding, "I told (former Chairman Kim) that we will make more efforts in the future, so please watch over us."

Kim Policy Committee Chair and Shim Jae-chul, acting party leader, visited former Chairman Kim’s residence the day before, but Kim neither expressed acceptance nor rejection. Earlier that afternoon, the United Future Party held a national committee meeting and approved the transition to the ERC with former Chairman Kim as the head, but the standing national committee meeting was canceled due to a lack of quorum, limiting the ERC chairman’s term to the end of August. Considering former Chairman Kim’s statement that "if the party convention is held in July or August, I cannot serve as ERC chairman," this effectively amounts to a veto. This incident overlaps with the collapse of the 'Kim Yong-tae Innovation ERC' four years ago due to a mass boycott by the pro-Park faction.

The core of the veto lies with senior lawmakers such as Kim Tae-heum and Cho Kyung-tae. After meeting with Acting Leader Shim in the National Assembly floor leader’s office on the morning of the 29th, Cho told reporters, "I suggested holding a meeting of elected members as soon as possible to elect a new floor leader who can take responsibility for the party’s future schedule," adding, "The floor leader election is scheduled for the 8th of next month, but the 6th is also a feasible date, so it would be better to elect a new floor leader earlier." Regarding the executive committee meeting to discuss countermeasures for the ERC scheduled for that afternoon, he expressed skepticism, saying, "There is a high possibility it will not be held."

Also, Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party and recently emerging as the leading opposition presidential candidate in polls, added on Facebook that morning, "The collapse of the Kim Jong-in ERC is a very good decision in the long term," urging, "Let’s have a fierce debate at the meeting of elected members to show the party’s self-sustainability and make it a party truly owned by our members, not a party disturbed by opportunists."

Earlier, the '40s generation theory' proposed by former Chairman Kim has lost its luster amid suspicions that it was aimed at a specific individual. Cho Hae-jin, an elected member of the United Future Party, appeared on MBC Radio’s 'Kim Jong-bae’s Focus' and pointed out, "There is speculation that (the presidential candidate) will be created by their own hands, specifying the age group, which has led many to suspect that a particular person is being targeted."

Even young lawmakers within the party are demanding the resignation of the entire party leadership rather than supporting the 'Kim Jong-in ERC.' On the morning of the 29th, the Youth Emergency Response Committee, composed of young politicians from the United Future Party, strongly urged, "We strongly demand the immediate resignation of the entire party leadership," and said, "Hold a meeting of elected members immediately to elect a new floor leader and resolve the leadership vacuum centered on the new floor leader."

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