Ruling party picks 4-term lawmaker Yun Ho-jung as new floor leader
Rep. Yun Ho-jung of the ruling Democratic Party holding a bouquet offered by the party members at the National Assembly after being elected the party 's new floor leader on Friday / Yonhap
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Friday elected Yun Ho-jung, a four-term lawmaker from a faction supportive of President Moon Jae-in, as its new floor leader in a party reshuffle following its crushing by-election defeats last week.
The 58-year-old incumbent chairman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee defeated three-term rival Park Wan-joo by receiving 104 of the total 169 votes.
He will replace Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon who resigned last week as the party's floor leader to assume responsibility for the party's landslide defeat in the April 7 by-elections.
The election of Yun, categorized as "pro-Moon" inside the DP, is expected to help the party retain its close collaboration with President Moon in the final year of his five-year term.
"The wheel of reform should not be stopped here," Yun said in a speech prior to the vote. "I will ceaselessly keep up legislative efforts for reforms that many people hope for, including (those) on the reform of the state prosecution service and the press," he noted.
Yun served as a co-chief of the policy bureau for Moon's presidential election campaign in 2017. He has also spearheaded the DP-led passage of several progressive bills through the National Assembly, including controversial bills that seek to step up the protection of tenants, while chairing the legislation committee, the final gatekeeping committee before bills are put up for parliamentary votes.
On May 2, the ruling party is also scheduled to elect the new party chairman, along with the seven-member supreme council.
Three party heavyweights ― Reps. Song Young-gil, Woo Won-shik and Hong Young-pyo ― are vying for the party chairmanship. (Yonhap)