Three-way race for PPP leadership

[Anchor]

The People Power Party’s floor leader election, scheduled for the day after tomorrow (Jun. 16), has become a three-way race.

Along with lawmakers Song Eon-seok and Kim Seong-won, four-term lawmaker Lee Heon-seung has entered the race at the last minute.

Kim Min-hyuk reports.

[Report]

On the candidate registration day for the floor leader election, Lee Heon-seung, a four-term lawmaker from Busan Jin-gu, declared his candidacy as the third candidate.

Although he is a veteran from Yeongnam, he is seen as having weak factional ties and has expressed his determination to lead the party’s unity and reform with a spirit of life and death.

[Lee Heon-seung/People Power Party lawmaker: "I will innovatively change our party into a rational conservative policy party and make it a clear opposition party that prepares for the future."]

As a result, the People Power Party's floor leader election will be contested among three candidates: three-term lawmaker Song Eon-seok, four-term lawmaker Lee Heon-seung, and three-term lawmaker Kim Seong-won.

Lawmaker Song Eon-seok from Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, is classified as part of the former mainstream but is emphasizing integration beyond factional lines.

[Song Eon-seok/People Power Party lawmaker/June 12th: "I will implement leadership of integration and trust, regardless of ideology or thought."]

Lawmaker Kim Seong-won from Yeoncheon-gun, Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province, is classified as part of the pro-Han faction but is also seen as having weak factional ties.

[Kim Seong-won/People Power Party lawmaker/June 12th: "I am not running for the floor leader election for a specific faction within the party, but for all members of the People Power Party...."]

All three candidates are emphasizing integration and reform, which is also evidence of the significant factional conflicts and divisions that have emerged since the presidential election defeat.

[Kwon Seong-dong/People Power Party floor leader/June 12th: "It has been very difficult until recently due to conflicts between the pro-Yoon and pro-Han factions. I hope the next leadership will heal the wounds of our party."]

The People Power Party will elect a new floor leader at a general meeting of lawmakers next Monday.

Depending on who is elected, it is expected to affect the term of Emergency Committee Chair Kim Yong-tae, the direction of party reform, and the timing of the national convention.

This is KBS News Kim Min-hyuk.