Pro-Chin Yoon 'Lee Cheol-gyu's Appearance'... In Yohan's First Innovation Plan Faces Major Setback

People Power Party Holds Supreme Council Meeting, Appoints Lee as Head of Talent Recruitment Committee
Innovation Committee's First Agenda Calling for 'Unity' Becomes Meaningless
Kim Woong Criticizes "Talent Recruitment as Pro-Yoon Filter"

The People Power Party (PPP) has been engulfed in internal strife after canceling the suspension of party membership penalties imposed on former leader Lee Jun-seok and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, which was the first agenda item of the In-Yohan Innovation Committee, but appointing former Secretary-General Lee Cheol-gyu, a key figure in the pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) faction, as the head of the Talent Recruitment Committee. Just 19 days after Lee voluntarily resigned following the by-election defeat for the Seoul Gangseo District Office last month, he was entrusted with the important task of recruiting external candidates for next year's general election, prompting criticism from the anti-Yoon faction that he will act as a 'pro-Yoon identifier.'

On the 2nd, the People Power Party held an executive meeting at the National Assembly and passed a resolution to cancel the suspension of party membership penalties proposed as the first agenda item by the Innovation Committee. The subjects included former leader Lee Jun-seok, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, former party leader's political affairs chief Kim Cheol-geun, and former Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won.

Along with this, the PPP also approved the appointment of former Secretary-General Lee as the chairman of the Talent Recruitment Committee, which will recruit new talents ahead of next year's general election. Park Jeong-ha, the PPP's chief spokesperson, told reporters after the executive meeting, "As (Secretary-General) Lee has been continuously engaged in talent recruitment activities for a long time, we considered the continuity of work," adding, "The party is in a difficult situation, so this is an inevitable measure to recruit people who can impress the public in the general election and further develop the National Assembly."

Lee Cheol-gyu, Chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee, is attending the 1st Nomination Management Committee meeting for the Gangseo District Mayor by-election held at the National Assembly on September 8. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, Lee's return has been evaluated as diluting the meaning of the grand unity promoted by the Innovation Committee. At a parliamentary meeting held last August, Lee sparked controversy by referring to some members who represented the 'capital region crisis theory' as 'passengers who cannot board.' On the same day, PPP lawmaker Kim Woong criticized on his social media, "How can a lawmaker who threatens to expel even members of the same party if they displease him recruit any talent?" and added, "In the end, he will only recruit personnel who are 100% loyal to Yoon's will."

Kim also said, "It means that those who hope for party reform will not be allowed on board," and "If the Innovation Committee cries out for unity but entrusts talent recruitment to a 'pro-Yoon identifier,' one of the two must be false." This criticism alludes to the 20th general election when the predecessor of the PPP, the Saenuri Party, experienced a nomination turmoil with the emergence of the term 'Jinbak Identifier' (people who identify whether a candidate is a true pro-Park Geun-hye or not), as former Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Kyung-hwan, a core pro-Park figure, supported pro-Park candidates, resulting in defeat in the general election. At that time, lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun and Jang Je-won, who left the party after failing to receive nominations, ran as independents and were elected before rejoining the party.

Former Lee Jun-seok, People Power Party leader. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Since the chairman of the Talent Recruitment Committee is responsible for recruiting competitive external candidates for next year's general election, the anti-Yoon faction argues that former Secretary-General Lee, a key pro-Yoon figure, could coordinate with the presidential office during the nomination process.

Former leader Lee sarcastically commented on his social media on the same day, "You said you would resign from appointed party positions, but you sneak back in less than a month later. Seems like there is no one else, and you think life is comfortable now. Truly no hope." He criticized, "Instead of preparing well for the general election and showering flower petals and fireworks with the ruling party premium, you are scattering chili powder."

However, there is also a cautious view within the party that the activities of the Talent Recruitment Committee should be observed. Since talent recruitment involves bringing in new figures who have not been discussed in the political sphere before, it is unlikely to reflect the intentions of the presidential office. A senior PPP lawmaker said, "The chairman of the Talent Recruitment Committee is not a position to wield a sword like in nominations," adding, "While they bring people in, the Nomination Management Committee can decide on nominations, and there can be primaries or strategic nominations."

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