Kim Jong-in's 'Complete Overhaul of the Campaign Committee' and Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Full Suspension of Schedule'... The Crisis of the 'Yoon Seok-yeol Administration'

6 Headquarters Chiefs Face Complete Overhaul of Existing Election Committee Organization
Lee Jun-seok "Yoon Will Have a Day Full of Concerns"
Shin Ji-ye Resigns Abruptly as Senior Vice Chair of New Era Preparation Committee

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Park Jun-i] Kim Jong-in, the general election committee chairman leading the People Power Party’s (PPP) election campaign committee, expressed his intention to completely reorganize the campaign committee. This appears to be an effort to reform through structural changes, including the resignation of headquarters chiefs, as public opinion toward PPP presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol has recently stalled. Lee Jun-seok, the PPP leader, mentioned a "day full of worries," confirming that the PPP campaign committee is at a critical crossroads.

Kim Jong-in, the General Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 3rd, Kim held a Central Election Committee meeting at the National Assembly and stated, "I want to say that we will carry out a full-scale reorganization of our PPP campaign committee to show the public that we are making our best efforts."

Candidate Yoon decided to halt his originally scheduled events and begin reorganizing the campaign committee. Initially, Yoon was scheduled to attend the Korea Exchange (KRX) opening ceremony, announce policy pledges to revive grassroots finance, hold a joint meeting of the PPP’s standing committee chairpersons and secretaries, and conduct a ‘Change and Unity’ parliamentary meeting. However, all events after the opening ceremony were canceled.

The sudden suspension of Yoon’s schedule suggests that Kim’s announcement of a full campaign committee reorganization was likely not coordinated in advance. After the opening ceremony, Yoon got into his car without answering reporters’ questions and left. Even at the party headquarters, he remained silent despite a barrage of questions from reporters.

When asked if he had discussed the reorganization with Yoon beforehand, Kim said, "If I have to always listen to the candidate before speaking, then my position as general election committee chairman would be meaningless," adding, "I am speaking based on my own judgment." Regarding the direction of the reorganization, he said, "I will reorganize based on how I can efficiently operate the campaign committee as the general election committee chairman."

Because of this, the current six-headquarters system may disappear. The six-headquarters system, established before Kim took charge of the campaign, has been criticized as an organizational structure designed to limit Kim’s power, who had hoped for full authority.

People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol canceled all public schedules after attending the Korea Exchange opening ceremony on the morning of the 3rd and is entering the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Kim made a bold move by calling for the resignation of headquarters chiefs. The resignations are expected to take place within this week. After the campaign committee meeting, Kim told reporters regarding the ‘six headquarters chiefs resignation rumor,’ "We need to adjust the entire structure, including the resignation of headquarters chiefs, and carry out the necessary reorganization well." He also revealed that he had already urged the chiefs targeted for resignation to step down the day before.

He explained the reason for deciding on the reorganization: "The general public’s opinion has strongly pressured the campaign committee, so I judged that we must reorganize the campaign committee in line with public sentiment to properly conduct the election." When asked if the recent decline in approval ratings influenced the reorganization, he replied, "I think it had some influence."

On the same day, campaign committee members also voiced a unified call for reform. Kim Ki-hyun, the PPP floor leader, said, "There are harsh criticisms that our party does not feel a sense of urgency," adding, "There is no more time. Bold reform is needed immediately, even today." Kim Do-eup, co-chair of the campaign committee, said, "We must change even if it means enduring the painful shedding of skin," and Lee Yong-ho, also a co-chair, emphasized, "We must act with a resolve of life or death."

Lee Jun-seok met with reporters in front of the party leader’s office and said, "Today is a very important day for the campaign committee to make several critical decisions, and to avoid complicating each other’s feelings, it is very important to refrain from conditional or speculative remarks and to communicate frankly with each other," adding, "All members must understand the gravity and act accordingly."

He said, "The candidate will also have a day full of worries," and "I too will have a day full of worries."

Meanwhile, Shin Ji-ye, the senior vice chairperson of the New Era Preparation Committee, who had been a source of controversy since joining Yoon’s campaign, abruptly resigned on the same day. Shin announced her resignation via social media, stating, "Today, I resign as senior vice chairperson of the New Era Preparation Committee." She added, "I will step down first," and "I earnestly request organizational reform for regime change as I relinquish my position." Shin, a prominent feminist figure in Korean politics, faced internal conflicts after declaring support for candidate Yoon. Lee Jun-seok and others pointed out that Shin’s recruitment disrupted the presidential campaign strategy centered on the 2030 generation’s encirclement theory.

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