People Power Party, Following Honam's 'Proportional Priority,' Appoints Secretary-General from Honam Region

Kim Jong-in Visits Busan to Honor the Spirit of Democratization

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The People Power Party has decided to prioritize candidates from Honam in the proportional representation winning list and has appointed a Honam figure as the Secretary-General. Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman who has focused on targeting Honam, visited Busan for the first time since his inauguration to attend the 41st anniversary of the Buma Democratic Uprising memorial ceremony and continues his efforts to 'walk with the vulnerable.'

On the 16th, a People Power Party official stated, "Jeong Yang-seok, a former lawmaker from Jeonnam, has been appointed as the new Secretary-General." This comes just two days after former Secretary-General Kim Seon-dong, who was considered a candidate for Seoul mayor, resigned due to concerns over conflicts of interest within the party. Jeong is expected to be officially appointed as Secretary-General after the Emergency Response Committee's approval.

Jeong, born in Boseong, Jeonnam, is a Honam figure who graduated from Gwangju Salesian High School and Chonnam National University. He served as a lawmaker for Gangbuk-gu Gap, a representative difficult district in Seoul, during the 18th and 20th National Assembly. After losing in the 21st general election in April, he chaired the 'General Election White Paper' committee and is currently active as the Seoul City Party Chairman.

Kim's appointment of an out-of-office Honam figure as Secretary-General appears closely related to the party's recent 'embracing Honam' strategy. On the 14th, the People Power Party's National Integration Committee held its first meeting and decided that one-quarter of the proportional representation winning candidates would be from Honam. This is a measure to embrace the Honam public sentiment, which has been almost barren ground for the People Power Party. In May, Kim visited the May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju, knelt down to apologize, and incorporated the spirit of May 18 into the party's constitution and regulations.

On the same day, Kim will attend the 41st anniversary of the Buma Democratic Uprising memorial ceremony held at 'Neokkeunhan Teo' of Pusan National University in the morning. The Buma Democratic Uprising was a democratic movement in October 1979 where students and citizens in Busan and Masan protested against the Yushin dictatorship. Besides Kim, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Justice Party leader Kim Jong-cheol will also attend the event. This is Kim's first visit to Busan as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman, following his Honam visit, seemingly to strengthen his orientation toward the 'democratization movement.' In the afternoon, he will visit the late Dr. Jang Gi-ryeo Memorial Hall, known as the 'Schweitzer of Korea,' to learn about Dr. Jang's spirit of 'walking with the vulnerable.'

Kim will also listen to local public sentiment affected by the economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At 2 p.m., he will attend a meeting of the Busan Tourism Association held in Dong-gu, Busan, to hear from local businesspeople. Since the service industry accounts for 70% of Busan's economy, the reduction in tourism due to COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the economy. At this meeting, Kim is expected to criticize the government's inadequate response and demand measures for small business owners and self-employed individuals.

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