[Editorial] Jang Dong-hyeok's 'Party Centralization' Drive Amid 'Untimely Death' Controversy

National Assembly members of the People Power Party have unanimously decided to oppose Representative Jeong Dong-hyuk's proposal to unanimously remove all current members of the party's executive committee at the end of the month and have them re-elected through party votes. This proposal comes as the representatives are upset that Jeong is attempting to consolidate power by leveraging the strength of his supporters.

The People Power Party rules stipulate that the executive committee should be elected every two years in August, but there is no separate regulation governing the election process. Current members of the executive committee are typically responsible for organizing their local constituencies and preparing for elections, and traditionally, they remain in office for two years unless they step down due to resignation or a special cause for replacement.

However, Jeong's plan to have all 254 current members of the executive committee re-elected through party votes is being seen as an attempt to purge current representatives and potentially "cull" the ranks of the party. The People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee has already disqualified four current representatives—Yong-jin Park, Se-bum Su, Jo Kyeong-taek, and Jin Jong-o— for violating party rules, engaging in improper behavior, or participating in controversy. This has only strengthened the "culling the ranks" narrative in the party.