People Power Party Shaken by Rise of Oh and Han... Jang Donghyuk Faces Resignation Calls vs Retention Debate

Pro-Han Faction: "Judgment of Public Opinion" vs. Pro-Leadership: "We Defended Well"

Debate Over Leader Jang's Future

Han Draws Attention After Entering the National Assembly

Upcoming Floor Leader Election to Be First Test of Party Leadership Race

Following the June 3 local elections, there is growing interest in the future leadership dynamics within the People Power Party. While Seoul Mayor Sehoon Oh, who secured victory in the Seoul mayoral race, and Donghoon Han, elected in the Busan Bukgap by-election, have raised their profiles, debate continues over the fate of party leader Donghyuk Jang, with calls for both his resignation and his retention.

On June 5, political circles identified Mayor Sehoon Oh as the biggest winner of this election. By maintaining some distance from the party leadership during the campaign and targeting centrist voters, Mayor Oh once again demonstrated his presence as a potential presidential contender.

A two-term People Power Party lawmaker commented, "This outcome was achieved solely thanks to the Sehoon Oh brand and his administrative achievements," adding, "His political stature will only continue to grow." However, there are also predictions that it will not be easy for him to immediately expand his influence within the party. This is attributed to his need to focus on city governance, as well as his relatively weak intra-party base and lack of clear factional alignment.

(Photo from left) Donghyuk Jang, Leader of the People Power Party; Sehoon Oh, Mayor of Seoul; Donghoon Han, Member-elect of the National Assembly for Busan Bukgap. Provided by The Asia Business Daily and Yonhap News Agency

Donghoon Han, who won the Busan Bukgap by-election, is also being recognized as having emerged as a strong contender for future party and presidential leadership through this election. By defeating Hajungwoo, the Democratic Party candidate who was considered a "must-pick" without a unified opposition, Han has further solidified his political presence. On this day, Han will attend the National Assembly plenary session and begin his legislative activities. Lawmakers aligned with Han are expected to rally around him. The remaining issue is his party reinstatement.

There are predictions that a power struggle between Donghyuk Jang and Donghoon Han will unfold within the party. Those close to Han claim that the outcome of this election effectively represents the public’s judgment of Leader Jang. Lawmaker Jeonghoon Park of the People Power Party said on SBS Radio, "This election has shown that party members are questioning whether the party can contest the next general election under the Donghyuk Jang leadership."

In contrast, the pro-leadership faction argues that the party performed better than expected in this election and that blaming the leadership is excessive. They point out that, unlike the 2018 local elections held right after former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, when the party only held on to the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region, this time it achieved results in four metropolitan mayoral races, including Seoul, TK, and Gyeongnam, and increased the number of pro-leadership seats by three in the National Assembly by- and re-elections.

A member of the pro-leadership faction stated, "We have overcome the worst phase," adding, "This is not a situation that warrants a discussion of transitioning to an emergency committee." However, some predict that the party leadership structure could become unstable if Supreme Council members express their intention to resign.

Within the party, many believe that the upcoming floor leader election will serve as the first test of the new power structure. The next floor leader election is expected to take place as early as mid-June. Lawmakers Jeomshik Jeong, Doeup Kim, and Iljong Sung are currently being mentioned as potential candidates.

A member of the People Power Party leadership said, "The floor leader election is fundamentally different from a general election, making the outcome difficult to predict," adding, "Since evaluations of the recent election are divided within the party, the issue of Leader Jang’s future will ultimately be his own decision."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.