Yongho Lee: "Many Opinions Say There Is No Alternative Even If Kim Kihyun Steps Down"

Within the party, voices are emerging calling for Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, to step down taking responsibility for the defeat in the Gangseo District Office by-election. Meanwhile, 'Pro-Yoon' People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong-ho conveyed the party atmosphere, saying, "There are many opinions that even if Leader Kim steps down, there is no alternative."

On the 16th, on YTN's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' Lee said, "Leader Kim has still done his best, but if he quits now when there is no alternative, wouldn't the party be somewhat confused? Therefore, the general opinion is that supporting him and moving forward is the best option at this point."

Member of the National Assembly Lee Yong-ho of the People Power Party. / Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

At the lawmakers' meeting held the day before to discuss future responses related to the Gangseo District Office by-election defeat, some lawmakers reportedly mentioned the idea of Leader Kim's resignation. However, overall, the atmosphere emphasized 'unity,' according to Lee.

He said, "Since this is about six months before the general election, there is not much time to spare. Therefore, although the defeat in the Gangseo by-election was a huge shock to us, at times like this, many opinions favored uniting around Leader Kim and moving forward," adding, "Even if Leader Kim steps down, there is no suitable alternative, and in this situation, blaming each other and fighting over responsibility would not present a good image to the public. So, the consensus was to unite under Leader Kim for the victory in the general election and turn this crisis into an opportunity."

In effect, it means moving forward with 'Kim Ki-hyun Season 2.' When asked why, he replied, "If Leader Kim steps down, then we would either go to a provisional leadership committee or another direction. Forming a provisional leadership committee takes quite some time and is procedurally complicated," adding, "Also, is there an alternative that can harmonize well within the party, share the party sentiment as much as possible, and have the support of lawmakers as a provisional leader? I think various considerations like these played a complex role."

When asked if the resignation theory of Leader Kim came up at the lawmakers' meeting, Lee said, "Each lawmaker expressed their opinion. Some even mentioned resignation," adding, "Although no one explicitly said Leader Kim should resign, some spoke in that sense."

People Power Party lawmaker Seo Byung-soo also fired a direct shot, saying, "If you only look at the Presidential Office, it is difficult to handle the party leadership." Regarding this, Lee said, "I understand that some of our people also think that way and some lawmakers expressed such opinions yesterday as well," adding, "But this is a dilemma that comes with being the ruling party."

He said, "Our Yoon Seok-yeol government has been in office for about 1 year and 5 to 6 months," adding, "In such a situation, distancing ourselves from the government and the presidential administration and trying to manage everything separately raises concerns about whether this is logically correct."

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