[The Editors' Verdict] Kwon Seongdong's Mistakes Are No Different from 'Shooting from Within'

The adversity faced by the party leader who was ‘shooting from within’ coincidentally resembles the path taken by Yoo Seung-min, then floor leader of the Saenuri Party, seven years ago. After the party’s Ethics Committee decided to suspend Lee Jun-seok from his duties, he has been wandering across the country. Suspicions have arisen that the so-called ‘Yoon’s mind’?President Yoon Seok-yeol’s influence?played a role in the decision.

For former floor leader Yoo, the trouble began in 2015 when the ruling party, fighting desperately to pass the amendment to the Public Officials Pension Act, accepted the opposition’s proposal to amend the National Assembly Act. At that time, the opposition party, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, put the amendment of the National Assembly Act on the negotiation table as a card to exchange for the Public Officials Pension Act, allowing correction of the Sewol ferry special law enforcement decree. Yoo unexpectedly agreed to this. He was immediately branded as a ‘political traitor’ by the ruling party.

Former President Park Geun-hye exercised her veto power over the amendment to the National Assembly Act, stating, “Politics of betrayal that breaks trust ultimately breeds hegemonism and factionalism,” and expressed her displeasure by saying, “The people must judge this at the election.” Subsequently, Yoo resigned and faced political hardships, including being denied nomination in the 20th general election and running as an independent. The terms ‘political betrayal’ and ‘shooting from within’ became a lesson that no matter how high-ranking the ruling party leadership is, they cannot remain safe once they fall out of favor with the highest power.

The More Negative Evaluations Accumulate, Even the Highest Power Cannot Overcome Public Sentiment

In recent conversations on Telegram between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Kwon Seong-dong, acting party leader and floor leader, which unsettled the ruling party, there was a part that drew more attention than the ‘shooting from within’ remark. In the dialogue, Kwon responded to President Yoon’s encouragement, “Our party is doing well,” by saying, “I will faithfully carry out the President’s will and show a united front between the party and government.” There was no sign of the horizontal relationship he promised when he was elected floor leader.

When Kwon was elected floor leader of the ruling party in April, he pledged to “speak frankly and offer harsh criticism.” He repeatedly emphasized that he understood better than anyone that the drawbacks of a vertical party-government relationship were a cancerous presence for the future of the party and the people. However, the political relationship revealed in this ‘private conversation’ was not much different from the vertical one of the past.

Kwon did not offend the highest power. Instead, he often created situations that increased the President’s burden due to frequent mistakes. During his roughly 100 days in office, he bowed his head three times, including this recent conversation leak.

The ruling party’s reaction is serious. Not only have young people risen up, but there are also complaints that “it created an image of a narrow-minded leader” and “made it difficult to openly explain,” as well as harsh sentiments calling him “underqualified, causing burden and harm to President Yoon.” A senior member of the People Power Party defended Kwon, using the phrase “failure is the mother of success.” This interpretation suggests that after this mistake, he will do better next time, but the conversation leak itself was defined as a ‘failure.’

President Yoon said in the private conversation that “things have changed since the party leader changed.” Unlike Lee or former floor leader Yoo, the current Kwon acting leader’s system seems less likely to be shaken immediately. However, if negative evaluations increase, the situation could change. Even the ‘highest power’?Yoon’s mind?cannot overcome public sentiment.

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