Fifteen incumbent lawmakers of the People Power Party agreed on the 10th to extend the term of Chairperson Kim Yong-tae until the convention for the selection of the next party leader, where he will lead the emergency committee. They formed a consensus that there is a need to quickly establish a stable transitional leadership in preparation for the ruling party's legislative dominance, and that Chairperson Kim is the right person to push forward with party reform efforts.
On this day, the fifteen incumbent lawmakers of the People Power Party reached agreement on three matters after about two hours of closed discussions at the National Assembly starting from noon.
First, they agreed that the convention should be held by the end of August at the latest to innovate the party under a normal leadership system.
In particular, they proposed that until a new leadership is formed through the convention, Chairperson Kim's term be extended, but the composition of the emergency committee be determined in consultation with the new floor leader.
They also added that they empathize with the intent and spirit of the reform plan suggested by Chairperson Kim Yong-tae and demand that concrete implementation measures be prepared through listening to public sentiment.
At the previous day's general meeting, voices demanding the immediate resignation of Chairperson Kim emerged, mainly from veteran lawmakers within the party. While there was broad consensus that Chairperson Kim could complete his term until the 30th of this month, no agreement was reached on the proposal to extend his term.
In response, half of the incumbent lawmakers agreed that Chairperson Kim should lead the emergency committee until the formation of the next leadership, and they offered support.
Lawmaker Kwon Young-jin noted that he agreed with Chairperson Kim's reform plan, saying, "With only two months left until the new convention, there is no one suitable as a new chairperson of the emergency committee compared to Chairperson Kim's innovative leadership."
Lawmaker Kim Seung-su stated, "Since the convention will be held soon, it was suggested that rather than picking someone for the emergency committee, it would be better to carry Chairperson Kim's innovative image until then."
Lawmaker Choi Hyung-doo said, "The erosion of the rule of law under the Lee Jae-myung administration is also rapidly progressing," and he added, "The consensus is that the party needs to quickly establish a leadership structure that can respond swiftly and establish the rule of law on the foundation of reflection and accountability."
The agreement included the names of fifteen lawmakers, half of the thirty incumbent lawmakers of the People Power Party, including Kwon Young-jin, Lee Seong-gwon, Jo Eun-hee, Kang Min-guk, Kim Mi-ae, Kim Seung-su, Park Soo-young, Choi Hyung-doo, Seo Beom-su, Park Jeong-ha, Jo Jeong-hoon, Eom Tae-young, Bae Hyun-jin, Seo Il-jun, and Kim Ye-ji.