Unstoppable Ruling Party's Controversy Over Changing Leadership Election Rules... "Ignoring Public Sentiment" vs "Ignoring Party Members"

Yoo Seung-min "Yoon Core Faction Securing Nomination Rights"
Jang Je-won "Opponents Disparage Party Members"
Cho Kyung-tae "Risk of Manipulation and Distortion if 100% Party Members Not Included"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the People Power Party prepares for its party convention in March next year and considers changing the convention primary rules from reflecting 70% party member votes and 30% general votes to 100% party member votes, voices both in favor and against are divided within the party. Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min criticized it as "ignoring public sentiment," while Assemblyman Cho Kyung-tae, who has long advocated for "100% party member votes," responded, "Once decided, we must accept it."

Yoo Seung-min: "Changing the Convention Rules Stimulates My Challenging Spirit... Is It Really Okay for Our Party to Go This Way?"

On the morning of the 22nd, former lawmaker Yoo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said about the rule change, "It's a message telling me not to run, that Yoo Seung-min is not allowed, and even if I run, I will be blocked," adding, "It rather stimulates my challenging spirit." The People Power Party's Emergency Committee resolved on the 19th to change the convention rules to 100% party member voting, and it passed the Standing National Committee on the 20th. The remaining procedures are the National Committee and Standing National Committee meetings on the 23rd.

Although Yoo leads in public opinion polls for party leader, he lags behind former lawmaker Na Kyung-won and Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo in party sentiment. This has led to analysis that the rule change targets Yoo. Yoo analyzed that the background of the rule change is the control of nomination rights by 'Yunhakkwan (key associates of President Yoon Seok-yeol).' He said, "I have no personal grudge, but it seems that President Yoon and Yunhakkwan are acting emotionally to that extent," adding, "Moreover, they want to secure 100% of the nomination rights to completely control the party."

The pro-Yoon faction dismisses such voices, saying "public sentiment is party sentiment." Assemblyman Jang Je-won, considered a Yunhakkwan, said to reporters after a study meeting on the 21st, "Those who oppose party members electing the party leader are belittling party members," and Assemblyman Kim Ki-hyun targeted Yoo by saying, "Players are not in a position to argue about the rules."

Recently, the proportion of party members from the metropolitan area and those aged 20-40 has significantly increased, leading to analysis that changing the rules to '100% party members' is not necessarily disadvantageous to Yoo. Regarding this, Yoo said, "They say there are 800,000 party members, but from the candidate's perspective like mine, it's really a blind spot to know through what channels and how these members joined, whether they were mobilized systematically during local elections or joined during the presidential election," adding, "Whether it's 800,000 or 300,000, it depends on how many of our party members can vote conscientiously or whether they follow orders systematically. I think that will be decisive."

Cho Kyung-tae: "I Have Advocated for Party Leader = All Party Member Voting System for 8 Years"

However, not only the pro-Yoon faction but also Assemblyman Cho, considered non-pro-Yoon, advocates the necessity of the all party member voting system, so this rule change cannot be seen solely as a 'pro-Yoon-led move to kill Yoo Seung-min.' Cho appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "(Without the all party member voting system) there could be various kinds of adverse selection and manipulation or distortion of public opinion," adding, "Looking at the overall systems of major advanced countries like the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Canada, the party leader is also chosen by party members through all party member voting."

Regarding Yoo's continuous criticism of the rule change, Cho said, "I think it's understandable for a player to make such claims, but if one's claim is not accepted, being excessively biased or saying the party will suffer a crushing defeat in the general election seems excessive," adding, "Regarding the rules, even if their claims are not 100% satisfied, they must accept and proceed."

Former Assemblyman Kim Jae-won also said on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' that "When I ran for the highest committee member in the party convention a year ago, I argued that party members' rights should be restored and that reflecting public opinion polls in party primaries or the convention is wrong," adding, "I think the system of reflecting public opinion polls in party primaries itself is wrong."

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