The People Power Party set up a gathering for lawmakers, party chapter heads, and elected officials to prepare for next year's local elections. Because Seoul is cited as the party's top priority to defend, the aim is to get the ranks in order in advance. As the real estate market heavily influences public sentiment in Seoul, the party also instructed them to keep up criticism of the government's Oct. 15 real estate measures.
On the 31st morning, the People Power Party held a "Seoul city party chapter heads and elected officials workshop" at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC) in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Party leadership including Representative Jang Dong-hyeok, Floor Leader Song Eon-seog, Seoul City Party Chairperson Bae Hyun-jin, Secretary-General Chung Hee-yong, Supreme Council Member Shin Dong-uk, and Supreme Council Member Yang Hyang-ja attended.
The People Power Party firmed up its resolve to hold Seoul, where Mayor Oh Se-hoon is in office, together with Seoul-area lawmakers, party chapter heads, and elected officials. Representative Jang Dong-hyeok defined next year's local elections as a "second founding war," saying the outcome will be decided in Seoul. In opening remarks, Seoul City Party Chairperson Bae Hyun-jin also stressed that only by winning in Seoul can the party keep the Lee Jae-myung administration in check.
Jang said, "Next year's local elections are not a fight between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea, but the last fight over whether we can defend the liberal democratic system," adding, "You all know that the success or failure of next year's local elections, the 'second founding war,' the system war, will be decided in Seoul."
Bae also said, "To defend our capital Seoul and to defend the Republic of Korea, I hope you will fight together with one mind and one heart through next year," adding, "Seoul must win without fail and become the very first place to lead the Republic of Korea. Let's win. Only Seoul!"
The People Power Party asked party members in Seoul to keep pointing out problems with the government's released real estate measures. With negative opinion prevailing on real estate measures centered on Seoul, a regulated area, the intent is to target controversies over real estate holdings by ruling-camp figures and public officials.
In fact, in the National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research International, and Hankook Research from the 27th to the 29th on 1,001 men and women aged 18 or older, 57% of respondents in Seoul gave a negative answer that it "will not be effective." The survey was conducted through telephone interviews using 100% mobile virtual numbers, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The response rate was 16.7%. For details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.
People Power Party Floor Leader Song Eon-seog said, "Setting everything else aside, even just looking at real estate policy, there is no way to think those people are acting for the Republic of Korea," adding, "People like that deserve heavenly punishment. In the coming election, we must make sure they receive certain heavenly punishment through the vote."
Starting in December, the People Power Party will begin the nomination process after about a month of party affairs audits. Party chapters found to have insufficient activity in the audits will go through a process to reselect their organizational heads. To raise candidate capabilities, the party plans to form an "evaluation innovation task force (TF)" for elected officials and reflect evaluations in nominations.