Senior members of the People Power Party are experiencing friction over the allocation of committee chair positions. This tension has arisen after an agreement was reached between the party leadership and three-term lawmakers, leading to dissatisfaction among some four-term lawmakers.
On July 22, the People Power Party will accept candidate registrations for chair positions in several committees, including the Education Committee, Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, Health and Welfare Committee, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Gender Equality and Family Committee.
While committee chairs are typically elected through a vote in the National Assembly, it is customary for the party to coordinate internally, resulting in only one candidate per committee. The People Power Party will conduct a vote among its members when finalizing candidates for committee chairs. However, this process usually involves a pre-agreed candidate, leading to a simple yes-or-no vote. If no consensus is reached, multiple candidates may compete in a primary during the party meeting.
On the previous day, Representative Kim Seong-won announced the agreed-upon list of committee chairs, which includes Lee Man-hee (Health and Welfare), Kim Seong-won (Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises), Kim Hee-jung (Education), Lim Yi-ja (Gender Equality), Lee Yang-soo (Intelligence), and Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun (Land and Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs). It was agreed that Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun would each serve as chair for one year in the Land and Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs committees, respectively.
However, four-term lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoo Yi-dong expressed their discontent, shifting the atmosphere. Typically, committee chairs are held by three-term lawmakers or some four-term lawmakers. Ahn and Yoo voiced their discomfort after the announcement of a committee chair list composed solely of three-term lawmakers, excluding them despite their previous experience.
In this context, Jeong Jeom-sik, the party's floor leader, was scheduled to meet with Ahn, who is interested in the Foreign Affairs Committee chair, but they ended up exchanging views over the phone due to circumstances. Yoo, who is seeking the chair of the Land Committee, has decided to proceed with a primary and has completed his candidate registration. As a result, a primary is expected to take place for at least one committee chair during the party meeting scheduled for July 23.
Jeong stated to reporters, "There is a tradition in place. There are reasons why some did not or could not serve as committee chairs during their three-term period, and saying, 'I couldn't do it during my three terms, so I will do it during my four terms' is not something that can be easily understood within the party."
On July 22, the People Power Party will accept candidate registrations for chair positions in several committees, including the Education Committee, Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, Health and Welfare Committee, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Gender Equality and Family Committee.
While committee chairs are typically elected through a vote in the National Assembly, it is customary for the party to coordinate internally, resulting in only one candidate per committee. The People Power Party will conduct a vote among its members when finalizing candidates for committee chairs. However, this process usually involves a pre-agreed candidate, leading to a simple yes-or-no vote. If no consensus is reached, multiple candidates may compete in a primary during the party meeting.
On the previous day, Representative Kim Seong-won announced the agreed-upon list of committee chairs, which includes Lee Man-hee (Health and Welfare), Kim Seong-won (Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises), Kim Hee-jung (Education), Lim Yi-ja (Gender Equality), Lee Yang-soo (Intelligence), and Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun (Land and Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs). It was agreed that Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun would each serve as chair for one year in the Land and Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs committees, respectively.
However, four-term lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoo Yi-dong expressed their discontent, shifting the atmosphere. Typically, committee chairs are held by three-term lawmakers or some four-term lawmakers. Ahn and Yoo voiced their discomfort after the announcement of a committee chair list composed solely of three-term lawmakers, excluding them despite their previous experience.
In this context, Jeong Jeom-sik, the party's floor leader, was scheduled to meet with Ahn, who is interested in the Foreign Affairs Committee chair, but they ended up exchanging views over the phone due to circumstances. Yoo, who is seeking the chair of the Land Committee, has decided to proceed with a primary and has completed his candidate registration. As a result, a primary is expected to take place for at least one committee chair during the party meeting scheduled for July 23.
Jeong stated to reporters, "There is a tradition in place. There are reasons why some did not or could not serve as committee chairs during their three-term period, and saying, 'I couldn't do it during my three terms, so I will do it during my four terms' is not something that can be easily understood within the party."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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