People Power Party Decides on Direct Election of District Chapter Chairpersons

A diagnosis has emerged that policy errors within the Democratic Party are behind the drop in Lee Jae-myung's approval rating to the mid-30s. The issue of abolishing security investigations and strengthening real estate taxation are cited as representative examples. Within the opposition, there is a strategy to 'catch the loyal supporters first' due to panic over the plummeting approval ratings, but this has been criticized as a solution that misses the core of the problem.

Both Lee Jae-myung and the ruling party are making erratic statements due to the panic over plummeting approval ratings, and are talking about catching loyal supporters first because they don't know where things are headed. Voices are emerging that this diagnosis and solution are wrong.

The government's push to strengthen capital gains tax for non-resident single-home owners, part of the real estate tax strengthening policy, is reportedly now defunct. Also, the plan to build youth rental housing in Yongsan Park has effectively fallen through, and the announcement of relocating public institutions to provincial areas has been postponed.

In particular, the special prosecutor bill for quashing indictments has been decided by the Democratic Party to not be pursued for the time being.

Approximately 150,000 members of the People Power Party delivered a petition to Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok opposing the expulsion of Rep. Lee Jin-suk. They demanded that a resolution urging Rep. Lee Jin-suk's expulsion be immediately adopted as party policy.

They also insisted on strong measures to ensure that no People Power Party members defect during the plenary session vote. Such collective action by party members is expected to significantly influence the party's internal decision-making process.

Evidence has been confirmed that Reps. Cho Kyung-tae, Woo Jae-joon, Han Ji-ah, Kim Hye-ji, and Kim Young-dong, among others, remained and participated in the plenary session vote for Rep. Lee Jin-suk's expulsion. Among them, Rep. Han Ji-ah stated that she abstained.

As abstentions are considered invalid votes, the list of lawmakers who participated in the voting process, separate from actual 'for' votes, has been released, increasing interest in the party's internal dynamics.

The vote for Rep. Lee Jin-suk's expulsion was conducted by anonymous secret ballot, and at least two 'for' votes were confirmed. The identities of the other voters, beyond one, were not disclosed.

This suggests the possibility of dissenting votes within the People Power Party, highlighting the seriousness of internal party conflict.

Signatures against the discipline of Rep. Lee Jin-suk have surpassed 150,000. All 150,000 participants in YouTube surveys, including PenNMike, expressed opposition to the discipline.

In contrast, only 3,000 People Power Party supporters signed in favor of Rep. Lee Jin-suk's expulsion, clearly showing a gap between party sentiment and general public opinion. While there may be duplicate participants, an overwhelming opposing public opinion has formed.

Jang Dong-hyeok, chairman of the People Power Party, is pushing for the introduction of a direct election system for district chapter chairpersons to strengthen party members' sovereignty. Currently, the People Power Party has nearly 1.2 million members, and the policy is to build a party centered on its members.

Chairman Jang is also pushing for the introduction of a direct election system for metropolitan and provincial party chairpersons, with a decision expected today through the Supreme Council. This appears to be an attempt to expand the influence of party members and strengthen internal party democracy.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo is showing new political leadership by criticizing existing veteran lawmakers like Kim Gi-hyeon. He confronted those who criticized the 100% party member rule, summoning them into the discussion.

Rep. Ahn continues his independent path, not participating in existing veteran gatherings, and the possibility of his candidacy for next year's Seoul mayoral by-election is also being raised.

It has been suggested that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is highly likely to receive a disqualification verdict in his second trial for violating the Political Funds Act, scheduled for late October. It was mentioned that depending on the outcome of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's second trial, there is a very high possibility that a by-election for Seoul mayor will be held in April next year.

Rep. Jeong Jeom-sik, the floor leader, has been leading meetings of 3rd and 4th term lawmakers, sparking controversy within the party over overreach. Criticism has arisen that a floor leader leading a lawmakers' meeting, when not the party chairman, constitutes an infringement of authority.

The criticism suggests that the floor leader's primary duty is to be at the forefront of parliamentary struggles, revealing a difference in perspectives within the party regarding Rep. Jeong's role. This controversy raises fundamental questions about the party's leadership structure and division of roles.

There was a private dispute within the New Reform Party over the party's direction, which ultimately led to Chairman Lee Jun-seok's departure from the party. Some assessment suggests that he missed the timing for his resignation.

Although Rep. Chun Ha-ram denied it, there are also observations that the New Reform Party was in covert communication with the People Power Party. This amplifies curiosity about the New Reform Party's future direction and Chairman Lee Jun-seok's political moves.

Chairman Lee Jae-myung expressed his opposition to the appointment of In-yo-han as the President of the Red Cross. It is considered unusual for Supreme Council member Kim Min-seok to publicly speak out against the appointment.

This appears to stem from concerns about backlash in the Honam region and declining approval ratings. Supreme Council member Kim Min-seok, who had rarely publicly opposed Chairman Lee Jae-myung, illustrates a change in this trend.

The appointment of Rep. Park Jie-won as the 'Friday Politics Alley Livelihood Leader' during the Democratic Party's staff appointments has sparked a '능찬봉' (neung-chan-bong, 'incompetent official') controversy. This is a cynical reaction, likening it to an incompetent official in the past.

The speaker mentioned the third of the 'new three major points' mentioned by Rep. Kim Min-seok, 'officer-ization of all party members,' and expressed a critical view of the situation where every party member is given a party position.

Reps. Park Gyun-taek, Lee Geon-taek, and Park Ju-min are rumored to be candidates for Minister of Justice. According to a JoongAng Ilbo survey, among 10 members of the Democratic Party's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, all but one opposed or reserved their stance on the special prosecutor bill for quashing indictments.

Only Rep. Park Gyun-taek expressed support, showing a clear difference in positions among the candidates. These stances are expected to be an important variable in the future selection of the Minister of Justice.

Allegations have been raised that Eunpyeong District Office funneled 2 billion won in national funds to MBC. The project, which was originally supposed to proceed through competitive bidding, was suddenly converted to a broadcast sponsorship and advertising method, providing the entire amount to MBC.

During this process, the district office was embroiled in several controversies, including failing to meet audience targets and submitting a shoddy results report. In particular, Park Sang-gyu raised strong suspicions about the unusual method of budget execution.

This matter is being criticized for violating transparent budget execution principles and giving preferential treatment to a specific media company. An investigation into this matter has now been launched.

The invitation of former President Park Geun-hye to the People Power Party workshop is interpreted as a process of normalizing the conservative party. This appears to be an attempt to promote party unity and deliver a message for future development.

Kwon Yeon-seo mentioned examples of former President Park's approval rating rising during local elections, suggesting that this invitation could also have a positive impact on the party's approval rating.

This invitation is seen as a strategy to consolidate conservative support and strengthen the party's legitimacy.

When the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party criticized the invitation of former President Park Geun-hye, Kwon Yeon-seo countered by citing the use of former President Moon Jae-in's video at the Democratic Party's national convention.

It was argued that this could be seen as the political establishment's vigilance against conservative consolidation. The controversy surrounding former President Park's invitation illustrates one aspect of the ideological conflict between the ruling and opposition parties.

Criticism is mounting over the abolition of prosecutorial security investigation powers. The lack of legal knowledge of the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is being cited as the cause of the problem, and it is argued that the public is suffering directly due to the police's insufficient investigative capabilities.

Citing cases of public safety gaps, such as the Busan ' 돌려치기' (dol-ryeo-chi-gi, 'turning kick') incident, it has been argued that discussions on maintaining prosecutorial security investigation powers should be resumed. This is a matter directly related to public safety, and the need for institutional improvement is being raised.

Suspicions have been raised that the Han Dong-hoon fan club and the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction are not 'sleeping with the enemy' but 'originally on the same side,' showing a common movement in simultaneously pushing for a petition to ban dual party membership. It was argued that despite the opposing political orientations between the two factions' online communities, their interests are aligned.

This is interpreted as an attempt to weaken the influence of existing party members and expand the power of specific factions. Such suspicions of collusion reveal the complex power dynamics within the political sphere.

The necessity of a special prosecutor's investigation into allegations of election fraud by the National Election Commission was emphasized. It is argued that based on the data of election fraud allegations unearthed by People Power Party Reps. Joo Jin and Kim Eun-hye, a special prosecutor's investigation is essential for criminal action beyond mere political debate.

It was argued that through the investigation, relevant evidence must be secured and criminal action taken, and ultimately, it must lead to structural reform steps such as the dissolution of the National Election Commission and the abolition of early voting.

This is interpreted as a demand for fundamental measures to ensure election fairness and restore public trust. A special prosecutor's investigation is seen as the first step towards resolving these structural problems.

It was argued that Kissinger's realist diplomacy and Reagan's value-based diplomacy are complementary. Jang Sung-ho praised Kissinger as a genius of diplomacy, explaining that international politics must be led through a balance of power to achieve long-term stability.

Conversely, Reagan was said to have expanded U.S. influence through a diplomacy of strength based on values of freedom and democracy. The conclusion was reached that both strategies, a 'two-pronged approach,' are necessary for U.S. national interests.

This emphasizes the importance of a diplomatic strategy that pursues universal values while being based on a clear understanding of reality.

It was argued that dialogue alone is unlikely to induce North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. Jang Sung-ho emphasized that if dialogue is attempted, North Korea will continuously demand money, and ultimately, U.S. nuclear weapons are needed to protect ourselves.

Concerns were also raised that South Korea's economy could suffer a significant blow due to economic sanctions if it withdraws from the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons). Therefore, a realistic strategy proposed is to gradually pursue nuclear reduction after gaining a position of strength based on the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty.

This suggests that maintaining a strong security posture is important alongside diplomatic efforts for North Korea's denuclearization. It is argued that a combination of dialogue and pressure is needed to bring about tangible change.