Jo Hae-jin: "Not Running Means Political Retirement... Ruling Party Innovation Committee Should Adjust Tempo"

Rep. Jo Hae-jin of People Power Party CBS Radio Interview
"The Innovation Committee's Existence Should Not Be Recklessly Jeopardized"

The People Power Party's Innovation Committee demanded the voluntary resignation of key party figures and their candidacy in difficult constituencies, but amid signs of backlash from senior members, Rep. Cho Hae-jin of the People Power Party urged, "Chairman In Yo-han and the Innovation Committee need to adjust their tempo."

Rep. Cho appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 15th and said, "If they decide not to run this time, it should not be seen as a simple withdrawal but as a choice to quit politics, a declaration of retirement from the political arena."

Cho Hae-jin, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

He added, "Considering their political careers and age groups, it would be difficult for them to return after taking a four-year break during the 22nd National Assembly. I don't know what Chairman In Yo-han was thinking when he talked about not running or running in difficult constituencies, but each person interprets it as a message to quit politics, to declare retirement. They then face the fundamental dilemma of whether they should accept this, end their political careers here, and start living the rest of their lives differently."

Rep. Cho said, "One must resolve these concerns and redesign their life plans to make such a declaration. When making such a decision, there should also be a process of consultation with party members and local residents who have worked together in the region for 15 to 20 years. But if they are asked to decide within ten to fifteen days, that is an unreasonable demand."

Rep. Cho emphasized that the Innovation Committee led by In Yo-han is at a crossroads between success and failure and needs to moderate its pace. He said, "The Innovation Committee kept raising the tone and made strong demands, but since they were not accepted, it has now reached a point where they are threatening the committee's existence as a drastic measure. This situation has almost gone as far as it can. The committee's existence should not be recklessly put on the line."

He continued, "Chairman In Yo-han and the Innovation Committee need to adjust their tempo and tone. Furthermore, this innovation effort should not end with the chairman throwing out personal issues or messages just to increase media attention. Instead, there should be active internal discussions within the committee to institutionalize and concretize the work. In that process, they should communicate with the party leadership and listen extensively to the opinions of party lawmakers."

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