Yoo Seung-min "Road Hanaradang" vs Kim Ki-hyun "Nanseseu"... Ruling Party, Power Struggle Among Leadership Candidates

Dispute Over Rules for People Power Party's Next Leader Election
"If 100% of Party Members Vote Against, 100% Nomination Elimination Rumor"
Kim Gi-hyeon Refutes Yoo Seung-min's Match-Fixing Remarks

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun, candidates for the leadership of the People Power Party, engaged in a heated debate on the 22nd over the revision of the party convention rules to elect the next party leader through a 100% party member vote.

In an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' former lawmaker Yoo said, "There are even ominous rumors that those opposing 100% party member voting will be 100% excluded from nominations," adding, "If our party's national committee members truly care about the party, they should seriously consider whether it is really okay for our party to revert to the 'Road to the Old Hannara Party' from 20 years ago." He also emphasized, "At tomorrow's national committee meeting, although it is a faint hope, this (party constitution amendment) must be blocked."

The '100% party member voting' rule amendment, decided by the Emergency Committee, passed the Standing National Committee on the 20th and will be finalized through the National Committee on the 23rd.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former lawmaker Yoo viewed the fierce battle over the next party leader position as stemming from nomination rights. He said, "In a way, the current atmosphere in the People Power Party is like the movie 'The Silence of the Lambs,' where the docile lambs remain silent and are taken away for slaughter without resistance," adding, "So many have a strong sense of concern about whether the party can continue like this."

If he becomes the party leader, he said he would create a reformist conservative party with reform-minded conservatives. Yoo stated, "I will carry out nomination reforms with strict standards," and explained, "If I don't win and a 'Yunhaekgwan (core associates of President Yoon Seok-yeol)' leader takes over, then the nominations will be very predictable. So, this is a fierce internal struggle to prevent that."

Lawmaker Kim also targeted former lawmaker Yoo's earlier remark calling the revision of the party convention rules 'match-fixing' during SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' calling it "nonsense."

He argued, "The Public Official Election Act, which applies to presidential, parliamentary, and local elections, is often amended two to three months before the election," adding, "The election we are holding now (for party leader) is not governed by the Public Official Election Act but by the party constitution and regulations, so it is a much more flexible election."

Kim Ki-hyun, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He explained, "There has never been a case where the election law was not changed before a parliamentary election," adding, "This is the 21st National Assembly, and even now, the election system was drastically changed a few months before the parliamentary election." He then questioned, "So, are all the lawmakers elected under such circumstances the result of match-fixing?"

Regarding the term 'match-fixing,' lawmaker Kim said, "The offside rule in soccer matches has been changed frequently," adding, "Sometimes it is applied strictly, and other times more leniently," and asked, "If the whistle is blown this time by strictly applying the offside rule, is that match-fixing?"

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