The People Power Party's innovation committee, chaired by Ahn Cheol-soo (4th term, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province), will officially launch this week. Ahn noted, "I will take the scalpel to a party in a state of unconsciousness," indicating a strong reform.
According to political sources on the 6th, Ahn plans to finalize discussions on the appointment of innovation committee members over the weekend and seek approval from the emergency response committee on the 7th to commence full-scale activities of the innovation committee.
The innovation committee is expected to consist of a total of 6 to 7 members, including 2 current lawmakers, 2 local party chairpersons, and external members. Ahn is reportedly planning an unprecedented appointment that includes individuals from Honam with keywords such as "centrist, metropolitan area, and youth."
The innovation committee will hold regular meetings every Wednesday at 9 a.m., but plans to conduct discussions and announcements as needed. Ahn previously noted on the 3rd, "It will not be a once-a-week announcement; we will act quickly after various discussions as needed."
Within the innovation committee, there will be a separate task force (TF) for the presidential election white paper, with plans to complete and announce the white paper by the end of this month.
The white paper TF will be led by external experts, focusing on summarizing factors such as the recent electoral defeat and establishing a direction for party reform.
Earlier, Ahn indicated that he would focus on the activities of the innovation committee and withdrew from running in the party congress. He accepted the proposal to chair the innovation committee, stating, "The People Power Party is currently in a comatose state, just before receiving a death sentence. I will confront this head-on to transform it back into a healthy party in line with ordinary people's perspectives," indicating a strong reform.
Questions have arisen about the extent of personnel reform Ahn will implement, which could determine the success or failure of the innovation committee. Within the party, a strong demand for significant personnel reform is centered around the pro-Han Dong-hoon faction and first-term members. Former emergency response committee chairperson Kim Yong-tae remarked, "The innovation people desire is a thorough cleansing of personnel," while lawmaker Woo Jae-jun noted, "We need to at least reflect a commitment not to run again in the next election by senior members to persuade the public of our need for change and reflection."
The People Power Party's innovation committee will officially begin activities this week alongside the announcement of appointments. The composition of innovation committee members and the white paper TF, as well as the direction of personnel reform, are expected to be key indicators of the innovation committee's practical momentum moving forward.