On the 18th, Kim Seung-su, senior deputy floor leader for operations of the People Power Party, said, "President Lee Jae-myung's operation to seize control of the Democratic Party's leadership has failed," and noted, "In the Myeong-Cheong showdown, the president in the second year of the term was effectively defeated."
At a floor countermeasures meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Kim said, "President Lee Jae-myung openly intervened in and helped the party convention, but Representative Kim Min-seok struggled in a razor-thin contest in all regions except Honam," and added, "Had the president not targeted Honam voters with a semiconductor cluster timed to the convention schedule, the outcome could have been reversed."
He went on, "In the supreme council election as well, all three pro-Cheong faction candidates made the cut, and lawmaker Choi Min-hee was elected senior supreme council member," and pointed out, "Kim Yong, the president's closest aide—who received a five-year prison sentence on appeal on charges of taking 847 million won in illegal political funds from the Daejang-dong group to raise President Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign funds and is awaiting a final Supreme Court ruling—ultimately lost despite two candidates withdrawing at the end to back him."
Kim said, "The president and the pro-Myeong camp sought to use this party convention as a prelude to withdrawing or dismissing indictments, but Representative Kim Min-seok's pro-president guard system must begin its term already bearing a wound to its leadership," adding, "The president is facing the twilight of power just one year into the administration."
He said, "Abandon judicial destruction and attempts to escape trial such as withdrawing or dismissing indictments," and added, "We ask the ruling party to conform to public sentiment."
Kim also addressed the constitutional amendment discussion floated by the president, saying, "The People Power Party cannot agree to any of it," and added, "Unless the president's five trials resume, constructive discussions on constitutional revision are difficult under current circumstances."