Yang Hyang-ja Defeated in PPP Regional Chapter Chairman Election... First Application of Direct Member Voting System

People Power Party Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja was defeated in the runoff election for the Yongin-gap (Gyeonggi Province) regional organizational chapter chairman held on the 8th, losing to pro-Jang Dong-hyuk candidate Yun Jae-bok. The runoff was conducted via automated telephone response (ARS) voting targeting all responsible party members in the Yongin-gap district, with turnout in the mid-to-high 30 percent range. The party's Special Committee on Organizational Strengthening announced the results on the 9th.

Yun, the newly elected chairman, is a former deputy head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Party chapter and is classified as a pro-Jang Dong-hyuk figure who served as secretary-general of 'Jangpung 2030,' a fan club of Chairman Jang.

Inside and outside the party, analysts suggest that Supreme Council member Yang, who has taken a combative stance against Chairman Jang, lost out on the votes of hardcore party members. An official from the party's mainstream faction said, "This shows that party members no longer prefer candidates who stir up internal strife," adding, "Chairman Jang is popular among the members, so wouldn't it make sense that a candidate close to him was elected?" A lawmaker from the Yeongnam region also assessed the result as reflecting the votes of highly loyal party members.

However, a lawmaker from a metropolitan area region predicted, "Sitting lawmakers have dominance over party members in their districts," and "replacing non-mainstream lawmakers through the direct member voting system will not be easy."