People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se called on Representative Jang Dong-hyeok today (July 15) to take responsibility for the defeat in the June 3 local elections and resign from his post.

This is the first time that Kwon, a five-term senior lawmaker who previously served as the party's interim leader, has publicly demanded that Jang step down.

Appearing on CBS Radio today, Kwon stated, "Regardless of how the leadership structure is reorganized later, Representative Jang's resignation is necessary."

He criticized Jang, saying, "If you are defeated in a local election, it is a principle for the leader to take responsibility. If he were contemplating how to change the party, that might be a reason to stay, but he is not thinking about such things at all; he is only obsessed with the issue of voting rights and is focusing solely on activities outside the party."

Kwon continued, "The goal should be for conservatives to win so that the country is not shaken by clumsy progressive leftists. Instead, he is sacrificing the party and the conservative forces by prioritizing his personal greed and self-interest, thinking, 'I must be the leading candidate.'"

Regarding the slogan of "re-elections due to fraudulent voting" championed by Jang, Kwon drew a line, saying, "If it means that the mismanagement of the election has crossed the line, I agree. But if it implies that someone had a massive conspiracy from the beginning to manipulate and overturn the election results, that is an impossible story. There is a need to distance oneself from such claims."

On Jang's announcement of a plan to discipline those who engage in acts against the party, Kwon retorted, "Does disciplining them change the party? Even if the party moves in a single line, if that direction is wrong, it cannot be seen as reform."

Regarding the situation on the 12th, where floor leader Jung Jeom-sik suggested the party should transform into a "party for the people," and Jang effectively countered with a message that it should aim to be a "party centered on party members," Kwon sided with the floor leader.

Kwon emphasized, "A political party is fundamentally a unit that aims to win elections. Can you win an election just with the votes of party members? You must receive the support of the public to win."

He also mentioned the party constitution, which states that the leadership is dissolved if four or more elected supreme council members and youth supreme council members resign.

He stressed, "If Representative Jang does not take responsibility, our entire leadership must create a situation where we take that responsibility."

When asked if he had discussed this with supreme council members Shin Dong-wook and Kim Jae-won, who are classified as part of the party's mainstream faction, he replied, "I have done so directly and indirectly." He added, "Except for a few, most of the leadership, including Representative Shin Dong-wook, agree that they should show a sense of responsibility, but we have not yet discussed specifically what actions to take."

When asked if he had any plans to become a conservative leader himself, Kwon gave an open-ended answer, saying, "Everyone thinks about being a leader."

Meanwhile, Kwon also threw a jab at independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon.

Regarding Han's return to the party, he remarked, "Unless the party bulletin board issue is resolved, it is not appropriate for him to return to the party immediately," and pointed out, "The fact that the family of the representative entered an anonymous bulletin board and spoke anonymously is, in itself, proof that he was not qualified to be the party leader."

(Photo: Yonhap News)