With Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party returning to party duties, the People Power Party voted on the 29th at the Supreme Council meeting to expel former leader Han Dong-hoon. Of the nine members of the leadership who took part in the vote, seven cast ballots in favor, except for Supreme Council members Woo Jae-joon and Yang Hyang-ja.
That afternoon, the former leader called a news conference and said, "You may be able to expel me, but you cannot crush the public's desire for good politics," adding, "Please wait. I will definitely return," before leaving the National Assembly after delivering the brief statement.
With the expulsion of the former leader becoming a reality, internal conflict and division within the People Power Party have reached a peak. Because local elections are approaching, the chances of mass defections or a party split are not high, but opposition to the leadership centered on Leader Jang is expected to surge again.
◇ Sixteen pro-Han lawmakers say "Jang Dong-hyeok's leadership should step down"
After the decision to expel the former leader, 16 pro-Han lawmakers held a news conference at the National Assembly that afternoon and urged resignations, saying, "Jang Dong-hyeok's leadership must take responsibility for this situation and step down immediately." The statement was signed by 16 lawmakers, including Go Dong-jin, Kim Sung-won, Kim Ye-ji, Kim Hyung-dong, Park Jeong-ha, Bae Hyun-jin, Seo Beom-su, Kim Geon, Park Jeong-hoon, Ahn Sang-hoon, Woo Jae-joon, Yu Yong-weon, Jung Sung-kook, Jung Yeon-uk, Jin Jong-oh and Han Ji-a.
They said, "Today's decision to expel Han Dong-hoon constitutes a serious act against the party that our lawmakers can never accept," adding, "The leadership of Jang Dong-hyeok, which has driven the party in an anti-constitutional and undemocratic direction for personal gain, must take responsibility for this situation and step down immediately."
Lawmakers who are not in the pro-Han camp also voiced doubts. Lawmaker Song Seok-jun issued a separate statement, saying, "With less than five months left until the local elections, when even complete unity may not be enough, I cannot hide my profound dismay at an extreme decision that will cause division in the party," adding, "The leadership that pushed through a reckless decision to split the party must take full responsibility for all situations that arise going forward."
Supporters of the former leader also staged a scene encircling the People Power Party's tent sit-in set up in front of the main building of the National Assembly to protest the expulsion decision. Supporters of the former leader chanted "Jang Dong-hyeok resign," among other slogans, and denounced the People Power Party leadership at the tent sit-in.
◇ Low likelihood of pro-Han defections or a split… attention also on Han's next move
Although the expulsion of the former leader has exploded into internal conflict within the People Power Party, the likelihood of large-scale defections or a split in the immediate term is low. Pro-Han lawmaker Park Jeong-hoon also said on SBS Radio that day, "There is absolutely no chance (of defecting)," adding, "If the day comes when the Jang Dong-hyeok system is judged by the voters, the forces that can rebuild the party will be the former leader and us."
The prevailing mood inside the People Power Party is that a hasty split would lead to a crushing defeat in the June local elections. A junior People Power Party lawmaker said, "The failure of the Bareun Party in the past is deeply rooted among lawmakers and party members," adding, "With the dominant ruling party already running roughshod, a split or defections are not viable options."
For the time being, they will sail in the same boat called the People Power Party, but friction is expected to grow through the local election primaries and nominations. If the party suffers a crushing defeat in the local elections, Leader Jang is likely to take responsibility and step down. Former People Power Party emergency committee chief Kim Jong-in said in a YTN Radio interview that day, "With only five months left until the local elections, the leadership must make a cool-headed judgment about whether it can overcome the confusion in the party caused by expelling the former leader and carry out the election normally," adding, "Leader Jang will have no choice but to take responsibility for the local election results."
Attention is also focusing on the former leader's next steps. In political circles, the view is that the former leader will run in the local elections either for a metropolitan mayoralty or in a National Assembly by-election. Several posts are being mentioned, including Seoul mayor, Seongnam mayor and lawmaker for Gyeyang B.
Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok told reporters that day, "Running as an independent for Seoul mayor in the local elections would be the kind of choice that could increase his variables."