Appointment of 6 People Power Emergency Committee Members... Including 'Pro-Yoon' Jeong Jeong-sik and Joo Ki-hwan

Park Hyung-soo, Floor Spokesperson, "Considering Regional Balance"
Jung Jin-seok, "Appointment of Joo Ki-hwan Considering Honam Representation"

On the 13th, Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is answering questions from the press while arriving at the National Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Bomryeong Geum, Hyunji Kwon] On the 13th, Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, appointed six emergency response committee members excluding three ex officio members. Although it was claimed to be an integrated emergency response committee with regional balance, many of the appointees are classified as close aides to President Yoon Seok-yeol, making it difficult to avoid criticism of being a ‘pro-Yoon emergency response committee.’

Park Hyung-soo, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office that morning and announced, "Six members have been appointed as emergency response committee members: Representative Kim Sang-hoon (Daegu Seo-gu, 3rd term), Representative Jeong Jeom-sik (Tongyeong-si, Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, 2nd term), former emergency committee member Joo Ki-hwan (Honam, outside the National Assembly), former Blue House spokesperson Kim Haeng (Seoul, outside the National Assembly), Kim Jong-hyuk, spokesperson of the Innovation Committee (Gyeonggi, outside the National Assembly), and Kim Byung-min, chairman of the People Power Party’s Seoul Gwangjin-gap Party Committee (Seoul, outside the National Assembly)." If the emergency response committee appointments are approved at the Standing National Committee meeting that afternoon, the ‘2nd Emergency Response Committee,’ including the three ex officio members, will be finalized.

Park, the floor spokesperson, explained, "This appointment considered regional balance while including both inside and outside National Assembly figures, placing more weight on outside members to gather diverse voices."

It is reported that the person Jeong, the emergency response committee chairman, deliberated most over in the appointments was former emergency committee member Joo Ki-hwan, who was also part of the ‘Joo Ho-young Emergency Response Committee.’ Joo previously ran as the People Power Party’s candidate for Gwangju mayor in the June 1 local elections, and controversy arose when it was revealed that his son works as a Grade 6 official in the Presidential Office.

Jeong told reporters at the National Assembly that day, "I thought there was representation for Honam, so I decided to do so," adding, "I wanted to fill the Honam representation in my own way, and others were not available." Park, the floor spokesperson, also said, "Because Representative Lee Yong-ho, another Honam figure, declined, we asked former emergency committee member Joo as a consideration for the Honam quota."

Jeong Jeom-sik, a 2nd-term representative, served as the head of the negative verification team for the presidential election campaign committee. He is a classmate of President Yoon from their time at the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office in 1994. He is considered a representative ‘pro-Yoon faction.’ Chairman Kim of the party committee also has experience serving as President Yoon’s spokesperson during the presidential election period.

When reporters asked after the announcement whether this strengthens the ‘pro-Yoon’ color of the emergency response committee, Park said, "I understand that Chairman Jeong carefully selected members by balancing regions and various situations," adding, "Kim Jong-hyuk, the Innovation Committee spokesperson, was selected as a new face." Secretary-General Kim Seok-ki, Deputy Organization Chief Um Tae-young, and Chief Spokesperson Park Jeong-ha were retained. Representative No Yong-ho (proportional representation, first term) was appointed as the secretary to the emergency response committee chairman.

Regarding criticism that ‘women’ and ‘youth’ are lacking, Park said, "I think former spokesperson Kim Haeng was appointed as the female quota, and for youth, Chairman Kim Byung-min, born in 1982, who is neither too old nor too young, was appointed."

The People Power Party also fixed the term of the next floor leader, to be elected on the 19th, at one year. There had been voices suggesting that the remaining term of floor leader Kwon Seong-dong should be completed to avoid electing a new floor leader during next year’s regular National Assembly session, and it was settled as one year. The policy committee chairman will be decided by the new floor leader in consultation with the emergency response committee chairman.

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