Is Jo Jeonghun the First Recruit? Controversy Surrounding Kim Gi-hyeon's Talent Acquisition

Cho Jeonghun, Who Changed Party Affiliation Four Times... Questions About His 'Political Conviction'
Non-Yoon Faction Criticizes, "Please Accept Those Who Have Different Opinions Within the Party"

Kim Ki-hyun, the leadership of the People Power Party, has started expanding its centrist base by recruiting figures from the Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party of Korea, including Assemblyman Cho Jung-hoon of the Transition Korea party, ahead of next year's general election. However, voices of criticism regarding the recruitment of talent have emerged both inside and outside the party.

On the 20th, the People Power Party recruited external figures such as high-ranking officials from the Moon Jae-in administration and former local government heads from the Democratic Party of Korea. The first recruit was Assemblyman Cho Jung-hoon. Following him, former Namyangju Mayor Cho Gwang-han from the Democratic Party, former National Tax Service Commissioner Kim Hyun-joon, former Jeju Police Chief Ko Ki-chul, former SK Group Vice President Park Young-chun, and conservative YouTuber Kim Young-min joined the People Power Party.

However, criticism has also arisen over Kim Ki-hyun’s recruitment of Assemblyman Cho. This is because Cho has changed party affiliation four times by repeatedly joining and leaving parties, and he obtained his parliamentary seat through a satellite party of the Democratic Party of Korea.

At the People Power Party's Together Pledge Ceremony held at the Gangseo-gu Culture and Welfare Center on the 21st, Jo Jung-hoon, a member of the Transition Era who declared the merger, is speaking. On the right is Representative Kim Ki-hyun. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 19th, Lee Won-jae, former co-leader of Transition Korea, criticized on his Facebook, saying, "It is a party that shares no values with the current People Power Party," and added, "Many Transition Korea members and founding comrades who interact with me do not agree at all with Assemblyman Cho Jung-hoon’s decision to join the People Power Party." Lee led the founding of Transition Korea in 2020 and served as its first co-leader.

Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, also showed discomfort with Cho’s recruitment. On the 20th, on YTN Radio’s 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' Kim said, "It is not good to present him as the first talent recruit," and pointed out, "There has been much criticism about what the political beliefs of the People Power Party are."

Although Kim Ki-hyun emphasized expanding the party’s base, non-Yoon faction figures were excluded from this recruitment, leading to skepticism about building a 'big tent.' Heo Eun-ah, a People Power Party lawmaker classified as part of the non-Yoon faction, pointedly said on Facebook on the 19th, "I only hope our party leadership shows the same vast generosity that accepts former Democratic Party members to those within the party who hold differing opinions."

Jang Ye-chan, Youth Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

However, Jang Ye-chan, the youth supreme council member of the People Power Party, stressed that the prerequisite is a readiness to work together and dedicate oneself for the success of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, rather than factional perspectives.

On the 21st, on YTN Radio’s 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' Jang said, "Personally, those close to former leaders Yoo Seung-min or Lee Jun-seok are mostly people who are unlikely to put aside their personal interests or political ambitions to work together for the greater good, so I think the likelihood that the prerequisite of being ready to work and dedicate for the success of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration will be met is quite low."

He added about Assemblyman Cho, "I believe the rational and gentlemanly image he has shown through his activities in the 21st National Assembly will greatly help expand the People Power Party’s base."

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