Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party, said on Thursday that if he returns to the National Assembly, he would seek a seat on the Defense Committee.
Speaking on KBS radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa," Song was asked whether the transfer of wartime operational control should be completed within President Lee Jae-myung's term. "I'll go to the Defense Committee and make sure it's handled properly," he said.
On the transfer of wartime operational control, Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, said on April 22 (local time) that he submitted a roadmap to the Defense Ministry targeting the first quarter of 2029 for the handover. The Lee administration has said it plans to complete the transfer by June 2030, when Lee's term ends.
Song said that if he joins the Assembly's Defense Committee, he would consult with the U.S. Forces Korea commander and U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth to find an approach.
Commenting on a poll showing the People Power Party at 15% support, Song said he felt more worried than pleased about the opposition's collapse.
On Wednesday, Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research released results of the NBS survey conducted April 20-22 of 1,005 adults ages 18 and older. The poll put support for the Democratic Party at 48% and the People Power Party at 15% (details available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website).
Song said the public is questioning whether the People Power Party is a normal political party, adding that it has no future unless it reflects and changes.
He also said he met Daegu mayoral hopeful Kim Boo-kyum in Daegu and asserted Kim would win decisively with more than 10% of the vote. Song said the People Power Party should immediately dismantle the leadership of Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok and shift to an emergency leadership committee by recruiting new faces.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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