[Report] From 18 to 79 Years Old... People's Power Debate Battle Resembling a 'Public Audition'

Tense and Anticipatory Pressure Interview Scene
"I Want to Represent the Conservative Base" Diverse in Class, Age, and Gender

On the 24th at 1 PM, the first debate battle of "I am Gukdae" was held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
/Photo by Park Joon-yi

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] "What does age matter? I still feel young at heart."

The curtain has risen on the first debate battle of 'I am the National Spokesperson,' a contest to select the spokesperson for the People Power Party. At 1 p.m. on the 24th, the waiting room for the pressure interviews held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with 150 applicants who passed the first document screening. In line with the purpose of "providing opportunities to all citizens," the interview venue gathered participants of various ages, from the youngest at 18 years old to the oldest at 79, resembling an open audition. However, as the People Power Party has recently gained popularity among men, over 80% of the participants were male.

On the afternoon of the 24th at 1 PM, applicants are seated in the waiting room of the first debate battle of "I am Gukdae" held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Park Joon-yi

In particular, students in school uniforms, rarely seen in the National Assembly, were spotted here and there. Cheon Yu-bi (18), who is 18 years old, met with reporters after the interview and said, "Compared to others, I am young and have little social experience, but I applied to challenge the change and reform of the People Power Party." He added, "If I become the spokesperson, I want to represent the conservative camp," expressing his conviction by saying, "Since the left-wing government came into power, the conservative camp has often been negatively portrayed with the 'deep-rooted evils frame.'

Meanwhile, Min Gye-sik (79), the oldest participant and former CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries, who had attracted attention in the media earlier, showed confidence right after the interview. Min said, "People like us with a lot of social experience supporting the party from behind can make the party much better," adding, "I live with the thought of fulfilling the dream of creating a world where all citizens are happy."

On the afternoon of the 24th at 1 PM, applicants are waiting for their interview turn in the waiting room of the 1st Debate Battle of "I am a National Representative" held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Park Joon-yi

Since this is a position to select a spokesperson responsible for broadcasting activities and media response, notable figures from the media and broadcasting sectors also stood out. These include lawyer Jang Cheon, who appeared on Channel A's 'Heart Signal,' former announcer Kim Yeon-ju, wife of broadcaster Im Baek-cheon, and Lee Chan-yeop, editorial writer at Gyeongin Daily. Lawyer Jang said, "I have felt a distance from politics until now, but I applied because I wanted to show that ordinary citizens like me are cheering on."

Yang Jun-woo (27), a job seeker who gained attention by climbing onto the campaign vehicle of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon during the April 7 by-election, also challenged the debate battle. Yang said, "Before the by-election, the People Power Party was a party that I was embarrassed to openly say I supported," adding, "After the by-election and the party convention, it seemed to have a vision that made me say, 'I support the People Power Party because I like it.'"

At 1 p.m. on the 24th, Han Ki-ho, Secretary General of the People Power Party and a judge, is preparing for the interview at the first debate battle interview venue of "I am Gukdae" held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Park Joon-i

As the interview time approached, the interview venue set up in the conference room on the right side of the waiting room saw judges including People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, Secretary-General Han Ki-ho, and Supreme Council members entering one by one. In the center of the interview room, a red electronic clock indicating the time limit of '4 minutes' heightened the tension. On the judges' table was a score sheet listing the evaluation criteria for the applicants.

Before the interview, Leader Lee expressed his expectations, saying, "With 561 applicants participating, I strongly expect to recruit an excellent spokesperson team through this debate battle," and added, "Since this is the first attempt, we will proceed as fairly as possible."

Supreme Council member Kim Yong-tae, also a judge, said, "This is receiving nationwide enthusiastic attention," and added, "We will focus on evaluating whether they can logically express their opinions when appearing on TV and other media." Then, two participants entered the interview room with very tense expressions.

After about an hour of private pressure interviews, the applicants sighed in relief and gradually left the interview room. After the A group interview ended, Leader Lee met with reporters and said, "Even after conducting only the first group, there are many outstanding applicants, so it is somewhat confusing," adding, "I think selecting 16 people will be a really difficult task."

The People Power Party will conduct interviews for 150 applicants divided into three groups until 7:30 p.m. that day. Afterwards, 16 applicants who pass the pressure interviews will be announced, and from the 27th, they will compete in the round of 16 in a 4-on-4 debate battle format.

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