Jowonjin: "If the Presidential Office is strong, 5-person, 7-person, 10-person groups will emerge"

Regarding the suspicion that there is a '5-person group' within the People Power Party that wields more practical power than the Supreme Council, Cho Won-jin, leader of the Our Republican Party, expressed concern, saying, "If the Yongsan Presidential Office is strong, then 5-person groups, 7-person groups, and 10-person groups will continue to emerge."

On the 5th, Cho said on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' that "the important thing is that whatever kind of meeting it is, it can directly influence the primary election."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Last week, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong-ho revealed the existence of the '5-person group' on a CBS radio broadcast but later retracted the statement; however, the related controversy remains heated. Former leader Lee Jun-seok also announced plans to reveal the actual list of the 5-person group.

Cho said, "Whether the 5-person group exists or not will be revealed later," but added, "The problem is not the 5-person, 7-person, or 10-person groups, but that when the nomination committee convenes in the basic nomination system, the nomination system is not led by the party leader-centered nomination system, but other forces intervene in the nomination process."

There is concern within the party that the 5-person group, which is more powerful than the Supreme Council, will also manipulate nominations. Cho said, "Having interfered in the primary, they must have gained some benefit. We saw a candidate with 4% support become the party leader," and "if nomination interference is carried out in such a way by external forces or underground forces?though calling them underground forces is just a way of putting it?and if such forces influence the party’s system nominations, if an invisible hand exerts power, then it’s pointless to hold the general election." The '4% candidate' refers to Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, criticizing how he became party leader riding on 'Yunshim (Yoon’s heart)'.

Furthermore, Cho predicted the possibility of a third party emerging due to the nomination controversy. He said, "If someone is unfairly denied a nomination, would they just stay quiet?" and "They might run as independents or gather with others who lost to form a new party. Former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop is also planning to form one. There aren’t many lawmakers who can work with former lawmaker Geum. It will come out in October. Former leader Lee might also run."

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