[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]

When quoting this interview, please credit the program "SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing>" accurately. Copyright belongs to SBS.

■ Broadcast: SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing> Mon–Fri (14:00–15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Representative Kim Jae-seop of the People Power Party
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● Interview with People Power Party Representative Kim Jae-seop

"Served as campaign chair for Oh Se-hoon's camp in the local elections... Suffered ordeals including 4 complaints filed against him"
"Jang Dong-hyuk wouldn't have resigned even if we lost the Seoul election... He had already made up his mind"
"The election of Oh Se-hoon, Han Dong-hoon, and Yu Eui-dong shows the direction the PPP should pursue"
"Jang Dong-hyuk has not changed his stance... The situation for the PPP is not good"
"The push for a 're-election' was shot down by party consensus... A symbolic moment showing Jang Dong-hyuk's loss of leadership"
"Jang Dong-hyuk's leadership is virtually a 'lame duck'... Lawmakers are leaving him in neglect"
"Jang Dong-hyuk mentioned my name directly... I am prepared for disciplinary action by the Ethics Committee"
"Disciplinary action for 'not fighting against the Democratic Party'? The reason is incomprehensible"
"The Ethics Committee is not functioning properly... There are rumors of a disagreement between the Ethics Committee Chair and Jang Dong-hyuk"
"For Jang Dong-hyuk, disciplinary action is the only way to establish his political standing within the party"
"The Democratic Party is approaching the 'supplementary investigative power' issue as a national convention event... A dangerous situation"
"I have a firm conviction that the PPP must join forces with Lee Jun-seok"
"Han Dong-hoon's return to the party should happen with a time gap, through sufficient communication and mutual understanding"
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▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Representative Kim Jae-seop, who can be called a leading figure among the reformist faction of the People Power Party, is here with us. Welcome.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Hello.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: I see your badge says "I Love Dobong." I'm not sure if the viewers can see it.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I always wear it, but somehow I haven't worn it much on SBS, so it might look unfamiliar.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: It is quite large. Did you make it yourself?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Yes, I made it and have been wearing it around.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Are there other people who wear it like this with you?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: The district council members in my constituency all wear it together. When local residents see me wearing this on broadcast, they send text messages and really like it, so I make sure to wear it.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: A constituency lawmaker letting the world know they love their district. During the last local election, you worked in the campaign of Seoul Mayoral Candidate Oh Se-hoon, right?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Yes, I served as the campaign chair.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Some evaluated that you played the role of a sniper against the Democratic Party's candidate, Jeong Won-ho, and it seems you faced many lawsuits and complaints because of that.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I faced four complaints, a disciplinary request to the National Assembly's Ethics Committee, and a complaint filed by the Democratic Party under the party's name. I did go through some ordeals.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: How is the investigation progressing now? What is the status?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Well, it doesn't seem to be underway in earnest yet. If they call me in for questioning, I will have to go. But as I did back then, I criticized and verified based on facts, so I think the possibility of facing any legal disadvantage is zero.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Representative Kim Jae-seop is saying that because he raised suspicions based on evidence, there will be no problem even if he is investigated. Since then, about a month and a half has passed since the local elections ended. A significant amount of time has passed, but there hasn't been much change in the People Power Party. This is a bit of a paradoxical situation. If Seoul Mayoral Candidate Oh Se-hoon had lost, would Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk still be the chairman now? Rather, as Candidate Oh Se-hoon, who distanced himself from Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, won the election, isn't Chairman Jang using that as a basis and justification to say, "I will absolutely not step down"?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: But that's how I see it. Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk set Seoul and Busan as the standards, saying that if we win those two places, we win, and if we lose, we lose. Although we lost Busan and won Seoul after a hard struggle, I think he had already made up his mind. Even if we had lost Seoul, looking at his current attitude, I think he would have claimed credit for a few victories in other local governments or the by-elections and refused to resign. In the end, Seoul and Busan seemed to be just excuses. Looking at his recent messages and subsequent moves, he probably would have concluded with a pre-determined decision not to resign, saying, "Still, wasn't it better than the local elections since the 2018 impeachment after I became party chairman?" I don't think it would be much different from now.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Comparing it to the local elections eight years ago, rather than four years ago.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: He probably would have.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: He wouldn't have stepped down anyway.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: That is what I think.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Then do you think the current situation is good or bad for the lawmakers in the People Power Party, the party members who support the PPP, and the citizens who support the PPP?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: It is a bad situation. Nevertheless, considering that Oh Se-hoon was elected in the last local elections, Han Dong-hoon became a lawmaker despite being an independent, and Representative Yu Eui-dong survived and returned, the political direction these three represent within our party is clear, isn't it? It is a public mandate to break away from the far-right and move toward a moderate-pragmatic or moderate-conservative line. I believe that because all three of them survived and returned, they clearly showed the direction the conservative party must pursue while keeping the embers alive. However, contrary to that public mandate, Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk is openly and officially talking about rigged elections and has not changed a single stance he previously held. In that sense, the People Power Party is naturally in a bad situation under Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk's leadership. I think I can put it that way.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Regarding Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk not stepping down, you mentioned in an interview with another broadcaster earlier that the national convention will be held anyway, and even if Chairman Jang remains leader until then, he will be evaluated if he runs in the national convention. You seemed to say that since we have to hold a general election anyway, Chairman Jang is not suitable as the face of the party to lead us through the general election.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Yes, I believe the evaluation of Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk is already over, in fact. It seems he feels he is fulfilling his political duty just by holding onto his party post. During my campaign trail for the local elections, our party members expressed a lot of concern, saying they could vote for Oh Se-hoon, but they were deeply worried about what would happen if that ended up reviving Jang. I believe that was a fairly significant reason that kept some from going to the polling stations. In that sense, the political evaluation of Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk is practically over, and I don't think there is any chance of Chairman Jang taking the party's leadership ahead of the 2028 general election.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Do you, Representative Kim Jae-seop, or the reformist faction have no intention of stepping forward right now to change things and say, "Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, you must step down"? Are we just going to let this situation continue as it is?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I think I've said it at least 50 times. I've repeatedly said that Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk must resign and make a decision on his position. I kept saying that even before the election. But the party constitution and rules are quite peculiar. If Chairman Jang decides not to step down, and if the Supreme Council members do not resign, the current system of party rules allows him to maintain party power regardless of his political influence, image, or where our party is headed. I think these issues are continuing to accumulate. However, if there is one turning point, I believe Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk has virtually lost his leadership. After the local elections, Chairman Jang repeatedly said he would push for a re-election. He said so publicly, but this re-election push was shot down by party consensus. Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik drew the line, saying there would be no re-election. I think that scene was highly symbolic. This is because the person with the right to request a re-election is the party chairman, and if the chairman wants to proceed with a request, he can do so without needing any consent or permission. Yet, during the general meeting of lawmakers where Chairman Jang was present, the lawmakers simply shot down his demand for a re-election right in front of his face. So, I think Chairman Jang's leadership is virtually a paralyzed leadership, and perhaps that is why the lawmakers are just leaving him in a state of neglect.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Is there any movement to discipline you, Representative Kim?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Since Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk directly mentioned my name, I am prepared to face disciplinary action. However, the grounds for the discipline do not make much sense to me. There were two reasons. First, that I do not fight against the Democratic Party. Second, that I only attack Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, only attacking him.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Shaking up the leadership.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Those were the two reasons. I have to admit to the latter part to some extent, but disciplining me for "not fighting against the Democratic Party"—considering the numerous lawsuits, complaints, and disciplinary requests from the Democratic Party we discussed earlier—makes me think he either misread the situation, meaning he didn't watch this local election properly, or he just hates me too much.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Have you heard anything specific about the movements of the Ethics Committee?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: There are so many different disciplinary requests, and Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk has turned his own resignation crisis into a disciplinary phase, so things seem a bit chaotic. Since party members have filed numerous disciplinary requests against the many lawmakers who criticized Chairman Jang, there are questions about how far the scope of discipline should go. For example, who can be disciplined within that scope? Due to these various issues, I understand that the Ethics Committee is not functioning properly. Rumor has it that there is also a difference of opinion between the Ethics Committee Chair and Chairman Jang. I hear opinions are divided, with some saying they should make an example of people on a very broad scale, while others argue they should narrow it down to only those who clearly deserve discipline. Seeing that no significant talk of discipline has emerged yet, it doesn't seem like the discussions are progressing rapidly.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Since the current lull is not too bad for Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, it will likely continue as is unless there is a special variable. However, one could predict that if another unexpected variable arises and shakes Chairman Jang's position, the ethics discipline card might be brought out then.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I think that is a possibility. Right now, discipline is almost the only way for Chairman Jang to establish his political standing within the party, isn't it? Whether that will actually be effective is a separate matter, but at least he has achieved some success in turning his resignation crisis into a disciplinary phase. Therefore, whether he likes it or not, Chairman Jang will have to proceed with the discipline. However, the question of who to discipline and how remains, and I believe he will have to bear the full brunt of the ensuing backlash.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Especially since he has already made those public statements.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: I see. Right now, the issue of supplementary investigative power is a major point of contention in the Democratic Party's national convention. There are questions about how it will be concluded, with some calling for it to be wrapped up before the national convention even as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee seems to speed up, while others call for more caution. Has the People Power Party adopted a party line that supplementary investigative power must be preserved? What is the situation?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: There is no need to even set it as a party line because it is so common-sense and obvious, and there is absolutely no disagreement within the party, so it is practically safe to call it our party line. But as you mentioned, the debate within the Democratic Party is not about whether to abolish supplementary investigative power, but whether to do it before or after the national convention. The consensus is forming around the timing, not the substance. I think this is a very dangerous situation. Despite many criminal law experts warning that abolishing supplementary investigative power could expose crime victims to greater danger and cause them more suffering, the Democratic Party is not holding its national convention over disagreements on the substance, but rather over whether to do it faster or to control the pace. They are approaching the supplementary investigative power issue purely around the event of the national convention. I believe this national convention has degenerated into one solely for hardline party members, completely ignoring the public. I see this as continuing to hasten the demise of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: If an agreement on the organization of the National Assembly is reached later, do you have any intention of working on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I will go to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for the first half of the term. I don't know where I will go for the second half yet.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: You might stay on the committee, or you might go somewhere else.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I will go wherever the party assigns me.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: I see. Seeing you strongly express your convictions on the supplementary investigative power issue made me wonder if you would continue to stay on the committee. Recently, perhaps today, Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik met with Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the Reform Party, to discuss ways the two parties can cooperate in the National Assembly. However, reporters are probably curious about why Floor Leader Jeong is meeting with Representative Lee at this point. Cooperation in the National Assembly is a given, so they wonder if there is something more behind it. Some within the pro-Yoon faction, who were once called the mainstream of the party, also say that we have the experience of working together with Lee Jun-seok, and that the failure of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration actually began with the expulsion of a politician like Lee. They argue we should at least return to the state before that. There are also prospects that merger discussions might begin in earnest. Is this too hasty, or what do you think?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: If we approach this from a normative standpoint, I think we should definitely join forces with Representative Lee Jun-seok. I have a firm conviction that we must return to the line that Representative Lee showed our conservative party under the Kim Jong-in and Lee Jun-seok leadership in the past. Coincidentally, since there was likely going to be a discussion about Representative Lee on today's broadcast, I spoke with him on the phone before coming to the studio. I called him and asked, "What did you talk about with Representative Jeong? There are rumors of a merger, what is it about?" He replied with just four characters: "Nothing much" (별거 없어). Seeing how he just said they had a meal, it doesn't seem like any concrete or practical discussions about a merger have taken place yet. At least Representative Jeong's stance, unlike Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk's, is that we must unite and go together, that conservatives must stand together, and that we must not go down the far-right path. So, although it feels a bit slow from my perspective, I think he is heading in the exact right direction for our conservative party. I believe that within that direction, he is meeting with Representative Lee, with whom we must naturally join forces, to build a broader mutual understanding. Even though people say there are still two years left until the general election, whether it is a merger or some form of alliance, if we don't start preparing now, it won't be easy when the time comes.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Because the political clock ticks fast.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Yes. So I think they are building what you might call rapport, or a shared understanding. That's how I see it.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: A process of building it up.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I see it that way.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Intertwined with this is the issue of Representative Han Dong-hoon's return to the party. Some say there is no need to rush Han Dong-hoon's return, and even if we join forces eventually, merging with Reform Party Leader Lee Jun-seok should come first, while Han Dong-hoon's return could happen closer to the general election. Have you heard such talk?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Yes, during the floor leader election, all three candidates shared a similar sentiment regarding Representative Han Dong-hoon's return. While everyone agreed on his return, they also shared a similar temperature regarding the speed. There seems to be a consensus among many lawmakers that although Representative Han is an important asset to our party and a key figure in the conservative camp, if we rush his return right now and cause internal friction or another conflict within the conservative camp, it might be worse than not returning at all. In that sense, while Representative Han's return is a matter of course, the general consensus seems to be that it should be done with a time gap, through sufficient communication and by broadening our mutual understanding. I share the same view.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Have you had a meal with him?

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: I think we should do so soon.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: All right. That was our interview with People Power Party Representative Kim Jae-seop. I hope to see you often.

▶ [Interview] Kim Jae-seop / PPP Representative: Please invite me often.

▷ [Anchor] Joo Young-jin: Thank you. I enjoyed the conversation.