Kim Moon-soo and Kwon Seong-dong Meeting… "Kim Yong-tae Appointed as an Internal Reform Card"

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, has appointed Kim Yong-tae, a 30-year-old lawmaker, as the successor to Kwon Young-se, the former chair of the emergency committee, who resigned taking responsibility for the internal unification turmoil.

On the 11th, candidate Kim made this decision after discussing the reorganization of the emergency committee with Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader, immediately after attending a meeting with lawmakers at the National Assembly.

A parliamentary source from the People Power Party stated, "Lawmaker Kim Yong-tae has been appointed as the chair of the emergency committee," and "Floor Leader Kwon plans to explain the reasons for the appointment on the 12th." Candidate Kim’s decision to prominently feature the youngest member of the National Assembly is seen as a strategy to turn around the severe confusion and division within the party.

Kim Yong-tae, who was the 'sole opponent'… A symbol of an independent line within the party

At 35 years old, Kim Yong-tae is the only lawmaker from the 1990s born in the People Power Party and is currently serving as a first-term representative in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. He previously served as a member of the emergency committee under Kwon Young-se and was the only one to vote against a motion to strip Candidate Kim Moon-soo of his eligibility and to proceed with the procedure for re-election during the emergency committee meeting held on the 10th.

Last year, he also joined the resolution for the lifting of the National Assembly's emergency martial law, showing a different trajectory from hardline conservatism. Considering the urgent need to restore trust both inside and outside the party, Candidate Kim’s appointment of the young and reformist Kim Yong-tae as the head of the emergency committee is seen as a bid targeting the 2030 generation and centrist voters.

General Secretary to be Park Dae-cheol… "Considering stability and experience"

Meanwhile, on the same day, Candidate Kim appointed four-term lawmaker Park Dae-cheol (Jinju Gap, Gyeongnam) as the general secretary in charge of the party's election operations. Previously, lawmaker Jang Dong-hyuk had declined the proposal for the position after serving as the head of the general election committee, and the current general secretary, Lee Yang-soo, has been temporarily acting in the role.

The candidate's side explained, "Lawmaker Park, a former journalist, has a wealth of experience in party positions, including serving as the chief of staff to the floor leader," adding that he is "an appropriate person who combines stability and drive."

Image Source: Kim Yong-tae, appointed chair of the emergency committee / News1, Kim Moon-soo, People's Power candidate / News1