Opposition People Power Party elects 3-term lawmaker as new floor leader

Song Eon-seog, left, a lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party, celebrates with Kim Yong-tae, leader of the party's emergency leadership committee, after being elected its new floor leader during a general meeting of its lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Monday elected three-term lawmaker Song Eon-seog as its new floor leader.

Song defeated Reps. Kim Sung-won and Lee Hung-seung with 60 votes out of 106, eliminating the need for a runoff.

As the floor leader of the main opposition, which holds 107 seats in the National Assembly, Song is faced with various challenges, including countering the ruling party's legislative drive, preparing for a national convention to elect the new party leadership and addressing internal strife following the PPP's presidential election loss.

Though he is not strongly tied to any faction, Song represents a constituency in North Gyeongsang Province, a traditional stronghold of the PPP, and is generally considered to be aligned with the pro-Yoon Suk Yeol faction under the previous Yoon administration.

Song is widely regarded within the party as a leading expert on economic and fiscal policy, with experience as a former vice minister of the finance ministry.