Party organization committee confirms Yun after canceling re-vote; Yang Hyang-ja pushes back

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja arrive at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja arrive at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]

The People Power Party's Special Committee for Organizational Strengthening said Friday it had canceled a planned runoff re-vote for the Yongin-gap district organization chairmanship and would instead proceed with Yun Jae-bok, who won the original vote. Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja had previously announced she would boycott the re-vote, citing irregularities in the primary election process.

Jung Hee-yong, the party's secretary-general and chair of the committee, said at the party's Yeouido headquarters Friday morning that a candidate briefing session for the runoff re-vote had been held Thursday afternoon, but only Yun attended and signed a primary election agreement. "The committee comprehensively reviewed Yang's declaration that she would not participate in the re-vote and decided not to hold it," Jung said.

The committee designated Yun as the candidate for the organization chairmanship. His appointment is set to be finalized after a vote by the Supreme Council.

The Yongin-gap organization chair election was conducted under the direct membership ballot system introduced by party leader Jang Dong-hyeok. During the process, however, Yang raised concerns that some dues-paying members had not received automated response system calls during the runoff held Oct. 8. She brought the issue to the Supreme Council on Thursday, demanding a full investigation and a complete re-election, which triggered a heated clash with party leadership.

Jung drew a line against Yang's demand for a full re-election. He said a telecommunications company had confirmed there were no spam-blocking measures in place in the first-round primary districts, and that the committee had initially proposed a re-vote, which both candidates had agreed to in writing.

He added that while objections had been raised in other districts as well, the telecommunications company confirmed Thursday at the Supreme Council meeting that no irregularities had been found.

The party said it would address technical and systemic shortcomings to ensure members have sufficient opportunity to participate in future votes. "We will work to resolve unfounded allegations so that the fairness and credibility of the primary process are not undermined," Jung said.

Yang immediately pushed back after the committee announced its decision. In a Facebook post Friday, she wrote that the party had announced it would appoint the winner of a runoff it had itself invalidated. "The only thing that changed was my declaration that I would not participate in the re-runoff," she wrote. "Are they just going to bury every issue that was raised?"

Yang added that she would have no choice but to pursue legal action against anyone who spreads false information going forward.


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