Kim Ki-hyun "I Will Step Down as Leader of the People Power Party... All Responsibility Is Mine" (Update)

"No More Party Divisions Over Position Issues"

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, announced on the 13th, "As of today, I will step down from the position of party leader of the People Power Party." Kim, who was elected as party leader at the party convention on March 8, stepped down after 280 days in office. He did not mention whether he would run in his constituency, Ulsan, in next year's general election.

On the same day, Kim posted on Facebook, "Over the past nine months, I have worked sincerely with a heavy sense of mission to clear away the accumulated new deep-rooted evils, to normalize the Republic of Korea, and to ensure the success of the People Power Party and, furthermore, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. However, I am deeply sorry that I am stepping down without fulfilling that mission," he said.

Earlier, Kim was engulfed in rumors of resignation and non-candidacy after accepting the Innovation Committee led by In Yo-han's demand for 'sacrifice' and following reports of internal analysis showing that the People Power Party holds only six strongholds in Seoul. Kim, who had not been attending the National Assembly since the day before and had been in hiding, met with former leader Lee Jun-seok on the morning of the same day to discuss his position before announcing his resignation.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim explained the reason for his resignation, saying, "Many people tried to dissuade me, but the success of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the People Power Party's victory in the general election are urgent historical and contemporary demands, so I want to fulfill my responsibility with the spirit of ‘Haengyu butdeuk ban gu jeogi’ (行有不得反求諸己)." The classical phrase he mentioned means that one should look for the cause of any outcome within oneself.

He added, "The responsibility for all the situations our party is currently facing lies with me as the party leader, and any criticism that follows is entirely my burden," emphasizing, "The party must not be divided any further over my position."

Without expressing his opinion on not running in his constituency, Kim urged the party to stabilize quickly ahead of the general election. He said, "There are only 119 days left until the general election. Centered on Floor Leader Yoon Jae-ok, I will do my utmost to quickly stabilize the party so that the shameless Democratic Party does not regain parliamentary power and cause a tragedy again."

He continued, "Now, as a member of the party, I want to contribute to the party's stability and victory in the general election," adding, "Please support our People Power Party and the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."

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