Who is the Emergency Committee Chair Leading the People Power Party After Kim Ki-hyun's Departure? ... Heated Debate Within the Party

Kim Han-gil, In Yo-han, Han Dong-hoon, Won Hee-ryong, Kwon Young-se, Na Kyung-won Mentioned

With Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, stepping down and the party transitioning to an emergency response committee system, candidates for the new emergency response committee chairman include Kim Han-gil, chairman of the National Integration Committee, In Yo-han, former chairman of the People Power Party Innovation Committee, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kwon Young-se, a People Power Party lawmaker, and former lawmaker Na Kyung-won. However, among them, it is uncertain whether former Innovation Committee Chairman In will accept the position, and there are opinions that Minister Han lacks sufficient political experience.

On the 15th, Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "The public will probably think that if In becomes the emergency response committee chairman, the party will definitely change. In fact, looking at the current situation, isn't 'In Yo-han's magic' working?" He recommended former Innovation Committee Chairman In as the right candidate.

Yoon Jae-ok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party and Acting Party Leader, is speaking at the Floor Countermeasure Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Yoon Jae-ok, acting leader of the People Power Party, held consecutive meetings of senior lawmakers and the Supreme Council the day after former leader Kim's resignation and announced the "transition to an emergency response committee system." It was stated that holding a party convention was not feasible under the circumstances. As the possibility of holding the general election under the 'emergency response committee system' increases, attention is focused on the appointment of the emergency response committee chairman.

Lawmaker Ha argues that former Innovation Committee Chairman In, who led the party's innovation, is the right person for the job. He explained that the issue In raised about 'senior lawmakers running in difficult districts or not running at all' led to People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won's decision not to run, calling it 'In Yo-han's magic.' He also said, "Isn't everything In wanted fulfilled? Watching this, I thought, 'Former Innovation Committee Chairman In is scarier because he stays quiet; everything is being achieved.'"

However, Oh Shin-hwan, former Innovation Committee Chairman who led the Innovation Committee alongside former Chairman In, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "As far as I know, former Innovation Committee Chairman In clearly declared that he would end his activities with the Innovation Committee and return to his main job," adding, "He poured energy into it for six weeks, so I am not sure if he can engage in party-related activities afterward."

While Minister Han is also mentioned as a candidate for emergency response committee chairman by some, Lawmaker Ha evaluates Minister Han as more suitable for the role of election campaign committee chairman. He said, "We need to select the emergency response committee chairman by next week, but the originally scheduled cabinet reshuffle was not planned for this month; it was expected around next month, so the timing doesn't quite match," adding, "Minister Han is naturally the election campaign committee chairman. He is currently the top conservative presidential candidate and is very popular among the public, so he needs to travel nationwide."

People Power Party lawmaker Hong Moon-pyo also raised his voice, saying Minister Han should take on the role of election campaign committee chairman. On BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal,' he argued, "Minister Han and former leader Lee Jun-seok should serve as co-chairs of the election campaign committee, and someone who can control both should come as the emergency response committee chairman." Meanwhile, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong-ho also expressed opposition to a 'Han Dong-hoon emergency response committee' on MBC radio the previous day, saying, "He is excellent and has a good image and appeal within the conservative camp, but the emergency response committee chairman is not just a figurehead."

There are also opposing voices regarding Kim Han-gil, who is known to have President Yoon's trust and is being considered for the emergency response committee chairman position. On the same day, People Power Party lawmaker Heo Eun-ah said on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' that "(Kim Han-gil's emergency response committee) is the prelude to a nomination massacre," and argued, "Even if former Innovation Committee Chairman In, who is said to be close to Chairman Kim, comes, it will be the same."

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