[Interview] Yoon Sanghyun: "We Must Change the System Where Lawmakers Cater to Hardline Members... Nominations Should Go to the People"

People Power Party's Yoon Sanghyun Stresses the Importance of an "Open Primary" System

On July 24, Yoon Sanghyun, a member of the People Power Party, commented on the division between the party leader and lawmakers, saying, "We need to change the conditions so that lawmakers do not have to cater to the hardline party members in order to survive politically." He added, "While we must take the will of party members seriously, we also need to respect each lawmaker's freedom to make independent decisions according to their convictions for the health of the party."

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily, Yoon stated, "If lawmakers pay attention not to the people or the parliamentary group, but to the person who holds the nomination rights, it becomes structurally inevitable that the party leader grows distant from public opinion." Yoon has recently been advocating for making the party more parliamentary-centered and for the introduction of an open primary system.

Yoon Sanghyun, a member of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Yoon first pointed out that within the party, the party leader has become a "monarch-like leader." He explained, "This is because while we changed only the form from 'monarch-like president' in the past, we failed to change the substance. Although the title was changed to party leader, powers such as nominations and appointments are still concentrated in one individual. No matter who takes the seat, this pattern repeats."

Regarding the issue of hardline party members, he said, "I don't see them as a problematic group—their passion is a valuable asset to the party." However, he elaborated, "The problem is that since the party leader holds the nomination rights, when hardline members pressure lawmakers, there is an expectation that nomination can be used as retribution, which makes this attack a tool of political maneuvering."

Thus, Yoon argues that an open primary system is necessary. He suggests that ordinary citizens should be able to participate in the preliminary elections for elected positions without restriction. "In that case, there will be less to gain by attacking lawmakers," he said. "The passion of party members will shift from personal attacks and nomination pressure to focusing on party direction and policy."

Yoon also presented structural reform proposals to support this. Currently, the National Committee, which acts merely as a "rubber stamp," should be strengthened to handle major decisions on the party’s direction and structure as the representative body of the party. The party secretariat should be slimmed down and serve as an election support and member education organization, while city and provincial branches should be reorganized as channels connecting public opinion and party sentiment.

To concerns that this approach undermines the sovereignty of party members, he explained, "The idea is not to concentrate all authority in the parliamentary group. Lawmakers would handle policy and legislation, the public would handle nominations, and party members would be responsible for the party’s structure and direction," adding, "It shouldn't be a system where one person (the party leader) does everything, from cleaning to laundry to earning money—roles should be divided."

In response to claims that an open primary would decrease the influence of party members and delegates, he said, "Frankly acknowledging this is where persuasion begins. The more we open nomination to the public, the greater the likelihood that candidates with strong general election competitiveness will emerge. It's not simply a loss for party members but an exchange for a winning party."

Regarding concerns that this system would disadvantage political newcomers, he said, "Nomination rules should be decided early, and mechanisms such as bonus point systems and performance evaluation-based penalties for incumbent lawmakers should be introduced," emphasizing, "We have to provide both time and a fair starting point so that new politicians can compete on an equal playing field."

Yoon also cited the UK, the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, referring to the Labour and Conservative parties as examples. "The Labour Party regained power in the UK in 1997 not only by restructuring its organization but also by changing its policy line," he said. "We also need to newly establish a conservative line as K-liberal republicanism, open nominations to the public, and entrust the direction of the party to members to ensure that power is not concentrated on one side."

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