At the People Power Party caucus, the leadership and junior lawmakers clashed over expelling former leader Han Dong-hoon. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said that regarding the expulsion of former leader Han Dong-hoon, the party would actively cooperate with the police investigation and that he would take political responsibility depending on the results.
The People Power Party held a caucus at the main building of the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 2nd. The caucus was convened at the request of Alternative and Future, a group of first- and second-term People Power Party lawmakers, and those close to Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) as the main drivers, asking the leadership to explain the circumstances of expelling the former leader.
At the closed-door caucus, it is said the leadership and junior lawmakers clashed fiercely over the expulsion of the former leader. Calls reportedly emerged for holding the leadership accountable and for a confidence vote on the leader.
Supreme Council member Cho Gwang-han, who supported expelling the former leader, also met with reporters and relayed the mood of the caucus. Cho said that Rep. Jung Sung-kook and Rep. Park Jung-hoon raised their voices at him over the fact that, as an outsider, he attended the caucus.
After finishing his remarks at the caucus, Rep. Kwon Young-jin told reporters, "We expelled the former leader, so shouldn't we explain to lawmakers why we did it?" He added, "We did it to unify the party, but in reality we are not unified now. Haven't conflict and division become even more severe? The party leader and the leadership need to find a solution to that."
He continued, "When lawmakers say something about the party mood, people holding party posts hurl insults like 'Put your National Assembly seat on the line.' I asked how the leader can just let that slide," and said, "If slightly different views come out, ostracizing people or going around protesting at lawmakers' offices is something the leadership should sanction."
This appeared to target remarks made in the morning by Supreme Council member Kim Min-su at the Supreme Council meeting. Aiming at Rep. Kim Yong-tae, who had called for a 'confidence vote on leader Jang,' Kim said, "Will you even put your National Assembly seat on the line?"
Rep. Kim Yong-tae also told reporters, "Leader Jang, while serving as a Supreme Council member under former leader Han, offered an explanation with the nuance that 'the party members' bulletin board issue is no big deal,'" and added, "I asked that he provide an explanation the public and party members can accept about the background that led to the expulsion decision a year later. That is what I said."
He went on, "Second, winning the local elections is the paramount task for many party members and lawmakers," and said, "I asked for a roundtable with mayors, county chiefs and district chiefs in the greater Seoul area." However, regarding the confidence question, Kim said, "Various opinions are being discussed, so I did not say anything in particular."
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo said, "(A confidence vote) is too much, according to many lawmakers," adding, "We exchanged views on concerns heard from constituents in each district. Many of us are saying we must unite somehow. We held a freewheeling debate."
Later, chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon met reporters during the ongoing caucus and conveyed the leader's remarks while presenting the party's position. According to Park, leader Jang said, "We said we would clear up the suspicions through a police investigation. I think we can resolve this through the investigation," and added, "If the police investigation reveals that the disciplinary action was wrong, I will also take political responsibility."
He added that the party members' bulletin board issue "involves roughly 1,000 comments being posted from effectively a single IP at a fixed location," and said, "Therefore, the core problem is not simply that inappropriate comments were posted but that it was manipulation of public opinion."
Regarding criticism that leader Jang defended the former leader on the party members' bulletin board issue when he served as senior Supreme Council member under the former leader, only to suddenly change his stance, he reportedly explained, "At the time, all I heard from the former leader was a single line that he had never posted comments under his own name, so that is what I conveyed to the media."
In particular, according to chief spokesperson Park, leader Jang said he has never sided with the so-called "Yoon Again" faction that supports "martial law, aiding rebellion and fraudulent elections," and added, "I am keeping all possibilities open for expanding our base."
Meanwhile, at the caucus that day there were no explicit calls for the resignation of leader Jang or floor leader Song Eon-seog. The caucus, which opened at about 2:43 p.m., ended at about 6:24 p.m., roughly 3 hours and 40 minutes later.