Give the innovation czar carte blanche

After its crushing defeat in a by-election in Seoul two weeks ago, the governing People Power Party (PPP) appointed Ihn Yo-han, also known as John Linton, as the chair of its innovation committee on Monday. Ihn, a professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, is Korea’s first special naturalized citizen. When asked why he accepted the post, he said the party must “change everything except wife and children,” quoting the famous words from the late Samsung Group chairman, Lee Kun-hee.

Even after being shunned by the middle class, younger generation and moderates, the PPP still held on to its leadership based on lawmakers loyal to President Yoon Suk Yeol and legislators who represent the Gyeongsang region, the home base of conservative voters. After failing to find a refreshing leader on the innovation committee, PPP Chair Kim Gi-hyeon chose Ihn after 11 days. Ihn has a record of presenting his vision for the conservative party and national reform.

But frankly, it is questionable whether the new committee head will be able to change the PPP drastically. PPP leader Kim said he will give Ihn carte blanche, but few believe it. You can never tell if he will have such full authority in the party. To win the next parliamentary election in April, the innovation czar should be able to criticize the presidential office and the PPP, which is related to the need to fix the current top-down nomination system. But Ihn said he does not know the scope of his authority on the critical issue.

If the PPP leadership wants to change its image — not substance — through the innovation chair, the party will be eschewed by people further. If Ihn cannot exercise his authority fully, we can hardly expect a dramatic change in the party. In that case, the PPP will only repeat the earlier fiascoes of the innovation committees of the PPP and the DP.

The innovation committee led by an outsider must come up with strong prescriptions to revolutionize the conservative party. It must demand President Yoon change his unilateral way of governance and restore the governing party’s role to precisely deliver public opinion to the head of state. The innovation committee should be bold enough to propose the party leadership be shifted to an emergency committee if needed. The innovation committee must help the party nominate new faces in the next legislative election rather than blindly executing the recommendations from the presidential office.

The committee also must find the reason why the PPP could not present clear visions to improve people’s livelihood over the past. The leadership of the party must promise it will humbly accept what the innovation committee proposes. Otherwise, the party will be judged by the voters in the election on April 10.