Pro-Lee Jun-seok vs Anti-Lee Jun-seok... Dividing the People Power Party

Complaints Over Unfair Reflection of Each Candidate's Demands
"Presidential Candidates Should Not Be Treated as Subjects for Management"

People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok (center), floor leader Kim Ki-hyun (left), and Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won are waiting for the meeting to start in an awkward atmosphere at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party is experiencing severe internal strife, split into two factions even before the primary process to select the presidential candidate has begun. In particular, the recent conflict between former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong and party leader Lee Jun-seok has ignited a divide between those who support the current leadership and those who criticize it. Although the leadership is responding to this conflict with silence, damage to their leadership seems inevitable.

Regarding the conflict between former Governor Won and Leader Lee, on the 19th, lawmakers Hong Jun-pyo and Ha Tae-kyung voiced criticism toward Won’s side. Hong appeared on TBS Radio’s "Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory" that morning and said, "It’s really childish to expose and debate the contents of a private phone call (the recorded phone call between Lee Jun-seok and Won Hee-ryong)," adding, "Won will likely be deeply hurt by this." On the same day, Ha criticized Won on MBC Radio’s "Kim Jong-bae’s Focus," calling him "the boy who cried ‘wolf’ three times," and said, "I think Won should at least apologize."

The dispute over the recorded phone call seems to have settled after Leader Lee refused Won’s public demand the previous day. However, the controversy has led to dissatisfaction with the party leadership for not fairly reflecting the demands of each candidate. On YTN Radio’s "Hwang Bo-seon’s Morning Start" that day, Won said, "In all previous primaries, candidates’ opinions were officially and obligatorily collected," and raised his voice, "I spoke out publicly because of unfair issues, so are you saying I shouldn’t have done that?"

Former Jeju Governor and People Power Party presidential candidate Won Hee-ryong held an emergency press conference on the 18th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, demanding, "Release the entire recorded file of the phone call with me by 6 p.m. today," regarding remarks made by Representative Lee Jun-seok and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who is also a presidential candidate.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Won’s complaints about the leadership’s unfair management of the primary have been grouped with other criticisms directed at the leadership. Cho Hae-jin, a lawmaker serving as the Planning General Director for former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung’s campaign, defended Won’s objections on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," saying, "It seems that several requests have not been well received by the party leadership." Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member, appeared on KBS Radio’s "Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs" and sharply criticized, "To win the presidential election, the party must raise the support rates of the presidential candidates and make everyone a protagonist, but the primary preparation committee and leadership seem to have treated them as subjects to be managed, which calls for reflection." They have criticized Leader Lee for acting more like a protagonist than a primary manager.

The leadership continues to maintain silence. Since taking office, Leader Lee has actively expressed his opinions through social media and other channels, but he refrained from making public remarks at the Supreme Council meeting on the 17th and again at the meeting on this day. This is a strategy to avoid exposing internal party noise to the outside. However, internal conflicts continue in various closed meetings, making resolution difficult. After the Supreme Council meeting, spokesperson Lim Seung-ho told reporters regarding the controversy over the appointment of the election management committee chair, "There is absolutely no consideration or exclusion of anyone, and I understand that Leader Lee is deeply contemplating this." Regarding the controversial anti-reverse voting clause among presidential candidates, he dismissed concerns, saying, "It was approved as originally proposed by the primary committee," and added, "Further discussions will likely take place once the election management committee is launched."

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