Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition People Power Party announced Monday that he will step down as head of the party's new Innovation Committee, and said he will run for party chairmanship instead.
Ahn attributed his resignation to internal conflict, reportedly having clashed with floor leader Song Eon-seok, who also serves as the party’s interim leader, over the composition of the committee.
Ahn was tapped to lead the innovation body on Thursday after receiving approval from the party's emergency steering committee. The committee was established to rebuild the party following its crushing defeat in the June 3 presidential election.
“I accepted the role because I was desperate to help the party, but I ran into a massive wall before even opening the door to reform,” Ahn told reporters at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
“I proposed a minimum level of personnel reform in discussions with the emergency leadership, because I believed that was necessary to show the public our commitment to innovation. But we failed to reach an agreement,” he added.
Ahn's reform proposals reportedly focused on distancing the party from former President Yoon Suk Yeol, including avoiding the appointment of figures aligned with Yoon to the Innovation Committee and urging senior lawmakers in Yoon’s faction not to run in the next general election.
Ahn also said, “If I can’t use the scalpel of reform, then I will take up the knife myself. As party leader, I will personally push forward bold and decisive reforms.”
His resignation is likely to leave the reform-focused committee defunct. Its first meeting had initially been scheduled for Wednesday.
The People Power Party is expected to hold a national convention in August to elect a new leader, a post that has remained vacant since former Chairman Han Dong-hoon resigned following Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year.
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