The party convention to elect the new leadership of the People Power Party took place on the 22nd at Osco in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Although the temperature exceeded 33 degrees Celsius, triggering a heatwave warning, party members showed an even more heated response. Supporters of the anti-impeachment faction were still shouting the slogan of 'traitor' initiated by Jeon Han-gil.
Around 12:45 p.m., banners of candidates for party leader, supreme committee member, and youth supreme committee member were hung along the road around Cheongju Osco. Candidate Kim Moon-soo from the anti-impeachment faction raised the slogan 'Down with Supreme Leader Lee Jae-myung,' while candidate Jang Dong-hyuk promoted himself as 'a young and strong representative who fights properly.' Supporter Ahn Cheol-soo from the pro-impeachment faction emphasized innovation by stating, 'I will not change and will bring change,' and candidate Jo Kyung-tae described himself as 'the right person to rebuild traditional conservatism.'
Party members and supporters from various regions filled the convention hall starting from 1 p.m., an hour before the pre-event proceedings began. Among Kim Moon-soo's supporters, someone dressed in a costume from the Netflix series 'Squid Game' stood out, holding a support picket. Supporters of Ahn Cheol-soo marched in front of the convention hall holding flags and pickets.
The main cheering activities took place indoors due to the hot weather. Supporters formed lines by standing at the entrance for each candidate and cheered when their candidate arrived. Candidate Jo Kyung-tae was the first to appear at around 1:11 p.m., greeting his supporters. The supporters chanted 'Jo Kyung-tae' and subsequently cheered for the candidates from the reformist faction who entered after him.
Supporters of the anti-impeachment faction retorted against the cheering of the pro-impeachment faction by shouting 'traitor'. The term 'traitor' was used as a slogan by Jeon Han-gil to disrupt pro-impeachment candidates' speeches at the 'Daegu-Gyeongbuk joint speech event' on the 8th. In particular, when Kim Geun-sik, a candidate for the supreme committee who was involved in the 'traitor mockery' incident, entered the venue, anti-impeachment supporters shouted 'traitor' and chased after him. There were also instances of verbal disputes between anti-impeachment and pro-impeachment supporters during this process.
On this day, the party leader election reflects 80% responsibility member votes and 20% public opinion polls. Most responsibility members encountered at the venue predicted a victory for the anti-impeachment faction candidate. Even supporters of pro-impeachment candidates believed that the chances of the candidate they supported winning were slim.
A person named Jeong Deok-hwan (65), who supports candidate Jang Dong-hyuk, said, '(Candidate Jang) has a young and strong image, and I think he will fight best against the Democratic Party, so I decided to support him.' He added, 'I expect a runoff vote against candidate Kim Moon-soo, and I have a strong desire for Jang to win in the first round.'
Another responsibility member, Lee Min-goo (62), expressed support for the pro-impeachment candidate while doubting their prospects. Lee noted, 'Ultimately, the party is being taken over by pro-Yoon or far-right factions, so I think it will be difficult for the pro-impeachment candidate to become the party leader,' but he also explained that 'if the pro-impeachment candidate had not run, the People Power Party would not have been able to show that there is a reasonable moderate conservative faction.'
The People Power Party is expected to announce the winner of the party leader election around 5 p.m. that day. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the finalists will be revealed. The runoff will be held on the 24th and 25th, and the results will be announced the following day, on the 26th.