Jang Ye-chan: "5-person group? Exaggerated expression... It's just a party official working meeting"

Lee Yong-ho, a member of the People Power Party, raised suspicions that the '5-person group' centered around Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is taking control within the party, while Jang Ye-chan, the party's youngest supreme council member, explained that it is a "slightly exaggerated expression."

On the 2nd, Jang, the youngest supreme council member, said on YTN's "News King Park Ji-hoon" that "there is no specific person or term called the 5-person group. Every morning, Leader Kim holds meetings with the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-Generals, and it is only natural and normal for the party leader to have working meetings with party officials."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 30th, Lee made a controversial remark on CBS radio, saying, "The Supreme Council meeting is just a formality; the important core agenda decisions are made by the 5-person group." The members of the 5-person group are said to include Park Dae-chul, Chairman of the Policy Committee; Lee Cheol-gyu, Secretary-General; Park Sung-min, Deputy Head of Strategic Planning; Bae Hyun-jin, Deputy Head of Organization; and Park Soo-young, Director of the Yeouido Research Institute. However, all of them are party officials, and according to Jang, their meetings with Leader Kim are for working discussions.

He said, "The Supreme Council members are not in charge of the day-to-day work but are the ones who make the final decisions and take responsibility," adding, "The matters discussed in the morning strategy meetings are brought up as agenda items at the Supreme Council meetings, where we sometimes agree and sometimes oppose. Therefore, roles are divided in that regard, and it is impossible for decision-making itself to happen elsewhere."

There are also claims that, besides the 5-person group, there is a 7-person group that Leader Kim meets with daily in private. Regarding this, Jang said, "That is the morning meeting I mentioned," explaining, "It includes the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-Generals, Chief Spokesperson, and the Director of the Yeouido Research Institute. It is a very natural effort to coordinate the party's practical work."

He added, "Then, whether seven or eight people attend that morning meeting, the matters discussed there are brought to the Supreme Council meetings on Mondays and Thursdays. We review whether these align with the public's expectations and the party's direction, and decide whether to support or oppose them," emphasizing, "The party's constitution and regulations clearly state that the Supreme Council has decision-making authority."

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