Yoon Seok-yeol vs Kim Jong-in and Lee Jun-seok, Power Struggle Over 'Campaign Committee Formation'

Yoon Appoints Kwon Seong-dong as Chief Secretary
Camp Retention vs. Complete Reshuffle Trends

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate (right), and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, are talking during the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 8th. 2021.11.8 Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] A power struggle is unfolding between Yoon Seok-yeol’s presidential campaign team and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, along with former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in, over the composition of the People Power Party’s presidential campaign committee. On the 8th, Lee stated that Kim Jong-in would demand a ‘complete reorganization’ of personnel, while Yoon appointed People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong, who had been leading the campaign, as chief secretary, signaling a move to reuse existing campaign staff.

On the same day, Lee appeared on CBS Radio’s 'Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show' and, when asked if Kim Jong-in’s joining was confirmed, said, "Kim Jong-in tends to present many complex preconditions for victory. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate opinions between the candidate and Kim Jong-in on that matter," implying Kim’s joining as a premise. Lee predicted that if Kim Jong-in joins the party as the campaign committee chairman, the campaign committee would be completely reorganized. He said, "It seems that a process of complete reorganization or vacating positions is necessary."

Former Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, in August, right after Yoon’s entry into the party, Lee negatively described those around the candidate as "hyenas inciting lust for power," and on the previous day’s Facebook post, he appeared to criticize Yoon’s campaign personnel by saying, "What matters in an election is not a clumsy We Are The World or just filling the roster." Former chairman Kim also disparaged Yoon’s associates, saying, "He wandered for five months surrounded by a swarm of flies." This is why there is a possibility of conflict over the ‘campaign committee personnel composition’ between Kim Jong-in and Yoon in the future.

Meanwhile, Yoon clarified his trust in the existing campaign by appointing lawmaker Kwon as chief secretary. After the party’s supreme council meeting that day, he told reporters, "I appointed lawmaker Kwon as the candidate’s chief secretary as a channel to consult with many senior party members, veterans, and related parties on how to make appointments," adding, "We will start drawing up the campaign committee’s organizational plan from now on."

Yoon also emphasized at the party’s general assembly that he would keep the campaign committee open, criticizing a small elite presidential campaign. He urged party lawmakers, "A small elite presidential campaign leads to a quasi-dictatorship by a few close aides after taking power. I ask everyone to participate in the campaign committee without exception."

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