Divided by 'Gye-pa' in the Opposition... "Yoo Seung-min Faction Takes the Lead" VS "Step Down If You Lack Confidence"

Factional Conflict Among People Power Party Leadership Candidates Intensifies

The first party convention of the People Power Party was held on the 25th at Nurikkum Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Candidates for party leader Lee Jun-seok (second from the left), Cho Kyung-tae, Kim Woong, Yoon Young-seok, Joo Ho-young, Hong Moon-pyo, Kim Eun-hye, and Na Kyung-won, along with Acting Leader Kim Ki-hyun (left) and Election Committee Chairman Hwang Woo-yeo (right), are shouting "Fighting." Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] As the People Power Party leadership election scheduled for the 11th of next month approaches, the 'factional conflict' between 'newcomers and veterans' is intensifying.

On the 27th, Representative Joo Ho-young stated on Facebook, "Eradicating factional politics and behind-the-scenes manipulations is the greatest reform."

He particularly targeted the 'Yoo Seung-min faction' centered around former Representative Yoo Seung-min. Representative Joo said, "With regime change imminent, it would be better to extinguish the sparks of controversy, but the Yoo Seung-min faction, once victims of factional politics, are stepping forward and returning as key players in factional politics. A certain candidate, gaining popularity as a rising star, has openly confessed that 'making Yoo Seung-min president' is their political dream. If someone whose political dream is to make Yoo Seung-min president becomes party leader, can fair management of the primary election be possible?" Former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok appeared on YouTube's Women’s Newspaper TV in 2019 and expressed intentions to make Yoo Seung-min president.

Former Representative Na Kyung-won, who previously advocated for a 'party leader free from factions,' also said on the same day, "All (presidential) candidates must be given a sense of 'neutrality and fairness.' Otherwise, the process of selecting a single candidate will face significant difficulties, and those difficulties will be perceived by the public as division and conflict, leading to loss of support." This implies that if the party leader is chosen from a specific faction, fair management of the presidential primary cannot be ensured.

The newcomers did not remain silent. Former Supreme Council member Lee, considered a leading figure of the Yoo Seung-min faction, rebutted on the same day, "Those trying to revert the party convention, which was held under the themes of future and reform, back to old practices like factionalism, organizational politics, and dividing party positions will be severely judged and remembered as a cautionary example." The previous day, Lee also pointed out, "It seems some are obsessing over factionalism at the last minute, but while I remain quiet, other candidates are showing what 'old practices that must be eradicated' look like."

Regarding Representative Joo’s remark that "If people are close, meet often, and say 'let’s make someone president,' couldn’t that be seen as a faction?" Representative Kim Woong responded with a counterargument. Kim said, "The first-term lawmakers are close, meet often, and later pledged to make a People Power Party first-term lawmaker president, so were we a faction? I thought factional politics meant gathering among themselves, even making documents to push a specific person."

Adding to this, another first-term lawmaker, Kim Eun-hye, joined in. On the same day, Kim said, "Isn’t it 'experience' to generously embrace fresh shocks and lead by example in fair play? What kind of 'fair presidential management' is this when the party convention is suddenly dragged into a mudslinging fight by an unexpected factional label? If you lack confidence, step down now."

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