The People Power Party held a general meeting of lawmakers on the 9th and agreed to "sever ties with Yoon" (severing ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol). The party drafted a resolution in the name of all People Power Party lawmakers.
The People Power Party held an emergency general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly this afternoon to discuss shifting the party's line. As party support has recently been sluggish, crisis sentiment grew within the party after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, protesting the leadership's response to calls for a change of course, refused to file for the Seoul mayoral primary.
Floor leader Song Eon-seog said in remarks open to the press before the meeting, "We owe the public an apology for causing great confusion and disappointment with the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, and I hope the party will put forward a position of contrition," adding, "Former President Yoon Suk-yeol has left the party and has nothing to do with the People Power Party, and that will remain the case going forward."
At the meeting, lawmakers poured out demands that the party declare "severing ties with Yoon" at the party level and shift into local election mode. Lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae met with reporters after leaving the meeting room and said, "I told (Chair Jang Dong-hyeok to withdraw his remarks that the presumption of innocence should apply to the former president)," adding, "To win the local elections, we need unifying leadership, and for that, I conveyed the view that the push to expel former chair Han Dong-hoon should also be withdrawn."
Lawmaker Kim Tae-ho said, "This is a time that calls for Chair Jang's anguish and resolve," adding, "Upholding conservative values is upholding constitutional values, and since (martial law) destroys the constitutional order, there was talk that sending a clear message that we will sever ties with Yoon is the right thing for the future."
Lawmaker Kwon Young-jin also said, "Both Yeongnam and capital area lawmakers are saying we cannot fight an election like this," adding, "At today's meeting, even senior lawmakers who usually do not speak are taking the floor, and they are forcefully calling for change in the party."
Lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun said, "The coach and the team need to empower, encourage, and cheer on the candidates who are running, but looking at the party, I can't tell whether it wants to win the election or give up," adding, "We need to quickly remove internal discord, steady the party, and move to the next step. We need to quickly get out of the frame of Dec. 3 martial law, insurrection, and impeachment."
After a three-hour meeting, the People Power Party agreed to a resolution in the name of all its lawmakers that specified "severing ties with Yoon." After the meeting, floor leader Song said, "We once again apologize for the great confusion caused by the wrongful Dec. 3 martial law, and we oppose all calls for former President Yoon Suk-yeol's political comeback," adding, "We will stop remarks that amplify internal conflict and move toward grand unity. We will unite with all the people to respond to the anti-constitutional recklessness of the Lee Jae-myung administration." Song said, "All People Power Party lawmakers agreed to the resolution," emphasizing, "We will win the June 3 local elections."