People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is set to unveil a party reform plan early this week centered on strengthening member rights, ahead of the first anniversary of his taking office on Aug. 23. Party insiders are watching closely to see whether the plan will consolidate his leadership or reignite factional tensions over the party's direction.
Multiple party officials said Sunday that Jang had initially considered releasing the reform plan around Liberation Day but moved up the schedule in light of the Democratic Party of Korea's national convention and the Liberation Day holiday period.
The plan is expected to incorporate the "member-centered party" vision Jang outlined at the inaugural meeting of the task force on evaluating elected officials on July 28. Sources said the announcement will focus more on a broad vision for strengthening member rights and charting the conservative party's future course than on specific institutional changes.
Jang has repeatedly stressed the need to "nominate people who fight well" when it comes to candidate selection for elected positions. The evaluation task force is reviewing a framework that would assess lawmakers comprehensively — factoring in National Assembly attendance at plenary and standing committee sessions, party activities including opposition battles, and constituency work such as legislative reports.
The pro-leadership camp is hoping the reform announcement will boost internal cohesion and reinforce Jang's authority. More than 40 non-incumbent party chapter heads also met with Jang on Saturday to call for a more aggressive stance against the opposition Democratic Party, sources said.
Critics within the party, however, warn that a push to expand member rights could conflict with efforts to broaden the party's appeal to centrist voters. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik has recently emphasized that "winning elections requires politics that resonate with the public," signaling a divergence in views even within the leadership over the party's future direction.
"Whether giving party members a greater say in candidate nominations would actually win public support is a separate question," one junior lawmaker said. "If there is a gap between public sentiment and the party base, our chances of winning the presidential and general elections could diminish."
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