Close Vote Sees Yoo Eui-dong Nominated for Assembly Committee Chair; PPP Finalizes 7 Chair Candidates

The People Power Party has selected its candidate for the chairmanship of the powerful Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, following a closely contested internal election. Rep. Yoo Eui-dong secured the nomination after narrowly defeating Rep. Kim Jung-jae by a single vote in a party vote held among its lawmakers. The outcome means Yoo will now contend for the committee's leadership role in the National Assembly.

The selection process was not without internal debate. Initially, an agreement among three-term lawmakers suggested that Rep. Kim Jung-jae and Rep. Song Seok-jun would each serve one-year terms as chairman. However, Yoo, a four-term representative, entered the race, triggering the need for a party-wide vote.

“

I thought it was natural and right to respect the party's tradition of prioritizing elders.

During the pre-vote speeches, Kim emphasized the party's tradition of respecting agreements among senior lawmakers. Yoo, in response, highlighted his own journey, noting that despite being a relatively young three-term representative in the previous assembly, he deferred to seniority. He expressed surprise at the resistance to his candidacy as a four-term member, suggesting a potential shift in party customs and advocating for a clearer consensus among members if such changes were indeed occurring.

With Yoo's nomination for the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, the People Power Party has now finalized its candidates for all seven standing committee chairmanships it is entitled to. Other confirmed nominees include Kim Sung-won for Trade, Industry, Small and Venture Businesses; Kim Hee-jung for Education; Lee Man-hee for Health and Welfare; Song Seok-jun for Foreign Affairs and Unification; Lee Yang-soo for Information; and Lim Yi-ja for Gender Equality and Family. The National Assembly is scheduled to hold a plenary session later today to vote on these confirmed candidates, marking the near-completion of the 22nd National Assembly's organizational structure.

“

After returning as a four-term lawmaker through great hardship, I was told, 'Why is a four-term lawmaker trying to run now that it's already over?' I was taken aback.