Even Incumbent Lawmakers Considered for Opposition Innovation Committee Chair... Hong Ik-pyo Says "Unthinkable"

Since the controversy over the 'Cheonan ship self-destruction theory' and the commotion caused by Innovation Committee Chair Lee Rae-kyung's resignation after just nine hours, the Democratic Party of Korea has been trying to find a new Innovation Committee Chair, but has struggled to find a suitable candidate. Even incumbent lawmakers, who should be the subjects of innovation, have been mentioned as candidates for the Innovation Committee Chair. Hong Ik-pyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker who is considered a potential candidate for the Innovation Committee Chair, stated that it is "unthinkable" and that he has no intention of taking on the role.

On the 9th, on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal,' Representative Hong said, "(I have) absolutely no intention (of taking the position). The subjects of innovation are incumbent lawmakers, so it is not right for the subjects of innovation to carry out innovation themselves," he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Potential successors for the Innovation Committee Chair include former National Assembly Secretary-General Yoo In-tae, former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, former lawmaker Kim Hae-young, as well as current lawmakers. Among those considered are first-term lawmakers Lee Tan-hee and Woo Sang-ho, who are classified as pro-Lee Jae-myung (친명), along with Representative Hong. The inclusion of incumbents is due to their freedom from demands for verification.

However, Representative Hong pointed out, "I was a candidate for floor leader just a month ago and lost, so it is not reasonable for me to take on the Innovation Committee Chair," adding, "Moreover, the party is currently obsessed with finding an Innovation Committee Chair without even agreeing on the content of the innovation, which is problematic."

He argued that it is unreasonable to look for an Innovation Committee Chair without deciding the direction of innovation or whether full authority will be granted. He said, "No one is talking about what the innovation entails, so how can anyone be appointed as Innovation Committee Chair?" and "You need to decide what kind of innovation will be pursued, what needs to be changed, and what authority will be given before finding a suitable person for the Innovation Committee Chair. But no one is discussing these matters."

The fact that the incumbent lawmakers considered for the Innovation Committee Chair are pro-Lee Jae-myung (친명) is also an issue. Kim Jong-min, a non-Lee Jae-myung (비명) Democratic Party lawmaker, said on CBS's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match' the day before, "He is not a suitable candidate," and criticized, "How about thinking about how to continue the Lee Jae-myung leadership and stay close to him? That won't resonate with the public."

However, there are also opinions that the Innovation Committee Chair desired by the non-Lee Jae-myung faction would be difficult for Lee Jae-myung's side to accept. Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' "Would Lee Jae-myung accept the Innovation Committee Chair that the non-Lee faction wants?" and "They are probably looking for someone who is pro-Lee Jae-myung on the inside but appears not to be on the outside," he pointed out.

The controversy surrounding the Innovation Committee Chair is deepening factional disputes within the party, leading to talk of a 'psychological split.' Representative Hong said, "There is even talk of a 'psychological split state,' which reflects how serious the party's situation is, but conversely, it means there is no real courage to break away from the party," adding, "So these things are tragic for the party." Representative Park Joo-min of the Democratic Party said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "It's not to that extent, but it is true that communication among lawmakers has significantly decreased," and "It is true that it is somewhat uncomfortable for them to talk to each other," he said.

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