PPP appoints yet another vulnerable leadership

Politics

Published: 13 Sep. 2022, 16:07 Updated: 13 Sep. 2022, 16:08

PPP appoints yet another vulnerable leadership

The members of the People Power Party’s new nine-member emergency steering committee launched Tuesday. From top left: Chung Jin-suk, Kweon Seong-dong, Sung Il-jong, Kim Sang-hoon and Jeong Jeom-sig. From bottom left: Jun Joo-hyae, Kim Jong-hyuk, Kim Haeng and Kim Byung-min. [NEWS1]

The People Power Party (PPP) has a new leadership after the last one was suspended last month.

The PPP's standing national committee endorsed appointments to a nine-member emergency steering committee led by Rep. Chung Jin-suk. However, the new leadership could be as short-lived as the last if another court injunction application filed by former party Lee Jun-seok succeeds.

Earlier Tuesday morning, interim leader Chung, a deputy National Assembly speaker, announced the six nominated members of the new emergency steering committee, which included Rep. Kim Sang-hoon, a third-term lawmaker; Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, a second-term lawmaker; Rep. Jun Joo-hyae, a first-term lawmaker; Kim Jong-hyuk, spokesman for the PPP's innovation committee and a former JoongAng Ilbo editor-in-chief; Kim Haeng, a former Blue House spokesperson for the Park Geun-hye administration; and Kim Byung-min, a 40-year-old spokesman for the PPP's election campaign committee, a former emergency steering committee member and the youngest member.

Chung, as chair, floor leader Kweon Seong-dong and Sung Il-jong, the PPP's top policymaker, were included as de facto members of the committee.

The members were approved by 39 out of 53 votes in the standing national committee.

Rep. Kim Seok-ki, the PPP secretary general, said that Chung tried to balance the composition of the emergency committee, "and made the utmost effort to include different regions, generations and fields in society."

He added, "They are people who have been recognized for their expertise in their respective fields and each feels a heavy responsibility amid the difficult current situation of the party."

Joo Ki-hwan, a former investigative prosecutor who is known to be close to President Yoon Suk-yeol, was included in the original lineup for the emergency committee.

Joo said he would step down just 90 minutes after the Chung's announcement of the members Tuesday morning.

Joo was a PPP contender for Gwangju mayor in the June 1 local elections and was the only member of the emergency steering committee that was suspended last month. He reportedly grew close Yoon while serving in the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office in 2003.

However, Joo recently was caught up in a nepotism controversy after his son was reported to be working for Yoon's presidential office.

Rep. Jun Joo-hyae, one of two women on the emergency committee, was named as Joo's replacement. Like Joo, she is from the Honam region, referring to the Gwangju and North and South Jeolla region, traditionally a liberal stronghold.

Chung told reporters, "The appointments were made with an emphasis on unity and balance."

However, the fate of the PPP's second emergency steering committee is iffy as a Seoul district court is set to review another injunction applied for by Lee.

In early July, the PPP ethics committee suspended Lee's party membership for six months over allegations that he accepted sexual bribes and abetted in a cover-up attempt. A police investigation is also underway into the allegations, which are denied by Lee.

The PPP launched its first emergency steering committee on Aug. 16, effectively ousting Lee as party chief before his two-year term was set to expire early next year. Lee applied for a court injunction to block the new PPP leadership under Rep. Joo Ho-young.

On Aug. 26, the Seoul Southern District Court temporarily suspended the duties of Joo, chair of the PPP's previous emergency steering committee, siding with Lee.

The PPP immediately began the technical process to launch another emergency steering committee and revised its party charter again. Last Thursday, the PPP named Chung Jin-suk, a five-term lawmaker close to Yoon, as its new interim leader.

Lee was initially set to show up in person at the Seoul Southern District Court Wednesday to explain his request to suspend the PPP's new emergency steering committee led Chung Jin-suk.

However, the court said Tuesday that his hearing was pushed back to Sept. 28, complying with a request filed by the PPP for a delay.

"The gist of the preceding court injunction decision is that there is no emergency situation [in the party]," Lee's legal counsel said Tuesday, "so the transition to an emergency steering committee is invalid. The appointment of Joo Ho-young as the committee's chair was invalid, thus the members appointed by the invalid chair were also invalid."

The legal counsel continued, "Thus, former Chairman Lee has a right to return as party leader on Jan. 9 next year."

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]