Ruling party unveils members of innovation committee

Ihn Yo-han, chief of the ruling People Power Party's innovation committee, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis

A 23-year-old leader of a college's student body, an entrepreneur and 11 others, many of whom have little experience in politics, will lead reforms for the ruling party in what is expected to be a defining election for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration early next year.

Ihn Yo-han, a naturalized Korean doctor and chairman of the People Power Party’s (PPP) innovation committee, unveiled the members on Thursday. The list clearly aims to promote a message of diversity, with fewer career politicians and more young people included than many expected.

Six of the 13 members are in their 20s or 30s and seven are women. The party approved the list at a Supreme Council meeting. They have been given 60 days to reform the party amid polls showing a decline in its approving ratings ahead of the legislative election scheduled to be held on April 10.

The list includes Park Woo-jin, leader of the student body of Kyungpook National University, former news anchor Song Hee, My Pet Plus CEO Lim Jang-mi, Kyung Hee University international relations professor Lee Gem-ma, Rep. Park Sung-joong of the PPP, former lawmaker Oh Shin-hwan and Daegu's former Deputy Mayor Jeong Hae-yong.

“We will work over the next 60 days at the innovation committee. That’s not a lot of time,” Ihn said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul. “One thing I can promise is that there will be concerns among party members (because of the reform agenda).”

The revelation comes after Ihn visited the Seoul National Cemetery, where he attended a memorial service for President Park Chung-hee on the 44th anniversary of his death.

There, he spoke with Park's daughter, former President Park Geun-hye, and President Yoon Suk Yeol, in an apparent move to unify the conservative party, which often lionizes the former strongman’s contributions in laying foundational policies during his rule in the 1960s and 1970s as Korea underwent rapid economic development.

Ihn said that the committee members will soon visit the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, a symbolic city for the country’s democratic movement and a liberal stronghold, in a step to embrace the change and diversity which he promised to bring to the party.

Speaking to reporters near the party’s headquarters the previous day, Ihn said his “different face” symbolizes the PPP’s change in the making and vowed to put it back on the right track even if that means his reputation gets ruined by politically charged personal attacks.

The most important question facing the committee is whether its unelected members will be given powers to implement actual changes, which will likely face opposition from the PPP establishment.

Both Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the party chairman, and President Yoon promised cooperation. Therefore, Kim said Ihn will have “all powers” necessary for reform. Yoon said he would not intervene in any party matters, according to his aide. But it remains to be seen whether they will abide by what they promised if the committee targets some of their key members in the name of reform.

Making rules for selecting candidates for the legislative election will be the most critical task facing the committee. Amid worries that many of the candidates could be “hand-picked” by Yoon or those close to him, some PPP politicians, mostly young ones belonging to a minor PPP faction critical of the president, have already left the party.

Shin In-kyu, 37, former vice spokesman, is the latest high-profile figure to make the decision to leave, blaming Yoon as the biggest hindrance to the party’s reform.

Others, including former party chiefs Lee Jun-seok and Yoo Seung-min, also suggested they may leave the party to create a new one before the election. Cheon Ha-ram, one of the most outspoken young critics of the PPP’s current leadership, turned down Ihn’s offer to join the committee, saying any reforms “would not mean much” under Kim Gi-hyeon’s leadership.