Ahn Cheol-soo, Member of the National Assembly, Calls for a 'Presidential Election White Paper' Following the Defeat

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, urged for the creation of a 'presidential election white paper' aimed at the party's innovation, three weeks after the election defeat.

On the 29th, Ahn expressed on his Facebook, "It has been three weeks since we lost the presidential election. Media coverage discussing the innovation of the People Power Party has disappeared. Articles are overflowing only with discussions about who will take over the party leadership."

He further pointed out, "We have witnessed martial law, impeachment, controversies over candidate unification and late-night candidate replacements, disputes on member forums, divided campaign teams, and a brutal election defeat. Yet, no one has analyzed, evaluated, or documented why we lost."

Ahn also referred to the innovation proposal suggested by Kim Yong-tae, the emergency response committee chairperson, stating, "Diagnosis comes before prescriptions," and added, "If we cover up wounds without even conducting a diagnosis, they fester. Jumping straight to the scalpel without understanding the problem can only worsen the situation."

This can be interpreted as a message indicating that superficial reforms without fundamental cause analysis will not resolve the party's issues.

Ahn noted, "Inspections and sanctions, along with the time-travel-like reversal of party lines, only address a few issues and can become an easy choice of comforting ourselves by saying 'everyone was cowardly' as time passes."

He emphasized the necessity of analyzing the causes of the election defeat, stating, "To stand by the people again, we must first promote a white paper led by independent external experts."

He reiterated, "To stand by the people again, we must first promote a white paper led by independent external experts," emphasizing the need for analyzing the reasons behind the election defeat.

Ahn clarified the purpose of the white paper, saying, "We must thoroughly document our foolishness, having been powerless in the face of authority and indifferent to the public sentiment."

He insisted, "Once the white paper is completed, it should be made public immediately without any revisions, allowing party members and the public to reflect on it and evaluate it. Only then can innovation be possible, and we can return to the side of the people."

Finally, Ahn added, "What we need now is the foundational document, the white paper. We must remember our mistakes for a long time and be able to revisit them anytime. Only then can we ensure that we will not repeat these mistakes."

Image source: Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, answers questions from the press during a meeting on the 18th at the Daegu City Party Headquarters in Beomeo-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu. 2025.6.18 / News1, News1