People Power Party Leadership Wields Power Over Local Chapter 'Personnel Reshuffle'

While the People Power Party faces internal divisions over a plan for the simultaneous resignation and re-election of local chapter chairmen nationwide, attention is focusing on the fact that the Supreme Committee ultimately holds the key to this organizational reshuffle.

According to political circles on the 22nd, substantive discussions on reshuffling the party member council operating committee began on the 12th.

Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk proposed that day not to operate local chapters through the existing method of automatic extension upon term expiration, but instead to re-elect local chapter chairmen by reflecting party members' wishes through full party member voting or responsible member voting.

In particular, he targeted local chapter chairmen who have not actively fought against the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung government or have shown interest only in local election candidate recommendations for replacement. Chairman Jang emphasized the need for local chapter reorganization, saying, "Right now 20 percent are fighting, but we need to become a party where 80 percent are fighting."

Incumbent lawmakers were not exempted. On the same day, Secretary General Jung Hee-yong, chairman of the Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment, explained that there are no separate exceptions for incumbent lawmakers under party regulations regarding Secretary General Park's question about whether regions with incumbent members could be included as candidates for local chapter chairman recruitment.

The Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment also discussed that day expanding the scope of recruitment beyond re-recruitment for existing problem local chapters. Re-evaluation of 27 locations where recommendations for replacement of local chapter chairmen were made in the previous party audit, as well as the election of regular local chapter chairmen, were placed on the review agenda.

Prior to this, discussions about sweeping personnel renewal also emerged inside and outside the party. On the 11th, former People Power Party Candidate Management Committee Chair Lee Jung-hyun diagnosed the People Power Party as being in a "coma state" and presented a generational transition theory that young people around age 45 should constitute more than 51 percent to participate in the party's decision-making.

The local chapter reorganization plan was detailed through discussion by the Supreme Committee on the 13th. The leadership discussed a plan to re-elect local chapter chairmen by reflecting member voting instead of conventionally retaining existing ones, and decided to consolidate opinions from provincial party leaders.

The discussion expanded on the 20th to a plan to place all local chapter chairmen, including incumbent lawmakers, at zero baseline, then re-elect them through member voting.

Chairman Jang and the pro-leadership faction pushed for the complete re-election plan at that day's Supreme Committee meeting, but National Assembly Floor Leader Jung Jung-sik and Youth Supreme Committee Member Woo Jae-jun raised issues with procedures and party regulation interpretations, preventing a conclusion. After continuing discussions from morning through afternoon, the decision was ultimately postponed, and it was decided to hear additional opinions from the general member assembly.

Opposition from incumbent lawmakers surfaced at the member assembly. At two member assemblies held on the 20th, opposition to complete re-election was predominant, and at another member assembly held on the 21st, the view that the existing method of electing local chapter chairmen through the operating committee should be maintained was predominant.

Choi Su-jin, floor spokesperson, said directly after the member assembly: "The consensus was to do things the existing way, that is, the method of re-electing through the operating committee," and indicated that Floor Leader Jung would convey this opinion to the Supreme Committee.

However, opposition from incumbent lawmakers alone cannot prevent simultaneous resignations or complete re-election.

Senior Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon said after the Supreme Committee on the 20th: "General member assembly decisions are not binding on Supreme Committee decisions," explaining that the members' opinions would be considered as reference material in the Supreme Committee members' judgment.

Internal voting dynamics within the Supreme Committee are also assessed to not be unfavorable to Chairman Jang. At the Supreme Committee on the 20th, Chairman Jang and Supreme Committee members Kim Min-soo, Kim Jae-won, Yang Hyang-ja, and Cho Gwang-han—five members total—showed support, while Youth Supreme Committee Member Woo Jae-jun opposed and Supreme Committee Member Shin Dong-wook abstained, according to reports. If the current alignment is maintained, Supreme Committee members supporting the complete re-election plan would hold a majority.

Separate from party regulation interpretation disputes, there is also a pathway through which the Supreme Committee can require sitting local chapter chairmen to resign.

Article 28 of the People Power Party Local Organization Operating Regulations allows the Supreme Committee to decide the resignation of a local chapter chairman after hearing opinions from the relevant provincial party leader and secretary general. It is a structure where the Supreme Committee can decide resignation through an opinion-hearing process even if the local chapter chairman does not voluntarily resign.

Leadership influence can also work in successor selection. According to Article 30 of the Local Organization Operating Regulations, the organization committee chairman is appointed by the party chairman after examination and recommendation by the Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment and Supreme Committee decision. Ultimately, if Chairman Jang gains consent from the Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment and the Supreme Committee, he can exert influence from the existing chairman's resignation through to the selection of the successor organization committee chairman.

Accordingly, the scope of the local chapter reshuffle is expected to vary depending on the Supreme Committee decision on the 24th.

If the complete re-election plan is decided, local chapter chairmen nationwide, regardless of incumbent or non-elected status, could become subjects of re-confirmation. It could lead to a major organizational restructuring involving all 254 local chapters nationwide by reflecting party members' wishes in chairman selection.

Conversely, if the Supreme Committee accepts the opinions of the member assembly, the existing election method through the local chapter operating committee could be maintained. However, even if complete re-election fails, the reshuffle path is not blocked. Priority can be given to organizing problem local chapters and those with inadequate party audits, and if necessary, existing local chapter chairmen can be selectively replaced under Article 28.

In particular, if the scope of replacement expands to include incumbent National Assembly members, the political repercussions are expected to be significant. If incumbent members are ousted from their local chapter chairman positions in their constituencies and new figures take over local organizations, changes in the leadership dynamics of local party organizations could occur ahead of the next general election.

The decisive moment is the August 24th Supreme Committee meeting. Floor Leader Jung is scheduled to convey the opinion of incumbent members to maintain the existing method, but general member assembly opinions have no authority to bind the Supreme Committee. Ultimately, not only whether complete re-election will occur, but also the scope of local chapter reshuffle depends on the Supreme Committee's judgment.

One People Power Party official said, "Chairman Jang has secured political momentum among party members and supporters through voting rights protection activities at Olympic Gymnastics Arena and other venues, and the leadership has the authority under party regulations to reorganize local chapters. Since turning all 254 local chapters to zero baseline carries the burden of time, cost, and party resistance, there is a possibility of moving toward a direction of reshuffling a certain scale with established justification and standards rather than complete replacement," the official said.

전시언 기자 yourside@news-s.kr