The People Power Party appointed Yoon Jae-bok as the chair of the Yongin Gap organization on October 19. This decision comes amid controversy surrounding errors in the automated response system (ARS) during the primary process, with Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja demanding a thorough investigation after she abstained from the runoff vote.
Park Seong-hoon, the party's chief spokesperson, announced to reporters following a Supreme Council meeting that the appointment of Yoon as the Yongin Gap chair was approved. He added that there were no objections or dissenting opinions during the decision-making process.
During the Supreme Council meeting, Yang reiterated her call for a comprehensive investigation into the ARS errors and measures to prevent future occurrences.
"To surpass the Democratic Party, we must establish three principles of fairness, transparency, and expansion in our internal primaries," Yang stated. "Now is the time to demonstrate that we are different from the Democratic Party, which is facing allegations of religious interference in its primaries." She emphasized her desire for a thorough investigation into the ARS issues and measures to prevent their recurrence.
In contrast, the party leadership maintains that sufficient explanations regarding the ARS errors have been provided. Park noted, "Last week, the Secretary-General adequately explained this matter to the media and the two candidates, who did not raise any objections and accepted the results, allowing the counting to proceed."
Previously, the People Power Party confirmed on October 8 that some responsible party members did not receive ARS calls during the runoff vote for the Yongin Gap chair, leading to a decision for a re-vote. However, Yang's declaration of abstention from the re-vote and her demand for a complete re-investigation sparked conflict.
Consequently, the party's Special Committee on Organizational Strengthening decided on October 16 not to conduct a re-vote and to select Yoon as the chair based on the existing vote results.
Meanwhile, Yang left the closed Supreme Council meeting early. Speaking to reporters afterward, she remarked, "I don't think it is appropriate for me to be present at the meeting."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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