PPP lawmaker Chang Je-won says he won't run in next year’s elections

People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Chang Je-won, a third-term lawmaker and a close confidant of President Yoon Suk Yeol, declared that he will not run in next year's general elections in a surprise move Tuesday.

People Power Party Rep. Chang Je-won announces he will not run in next April’s parliamentary elections in a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Chang Je-won, a third-term lawmaker and a close confidant of President Yoon Suk Yeol, declared that he will not run in next year's general elections in a surprise move Tuesday.

"I will support the victory of the PPP in the general elections standing behind history," Chang said in a press conference at the National Assembly in western Seoul.

Chang, who represents Busan's Sasang District, said that he is laying down his last public office position as a National Assembly lawmaker for the success of the Yoon administration.

"What could be more urgent than the success of the Yoon Suk Yeol government?" Chang asked. "Victory in the general elections is the minimum condition for the success of the Yoon government."

A native of Busan, Chang has been considered a core member of the pro-Yoon faction in the PPP and a key political brain in the party. Thus, Chang's move not to run for office again is being closely monitored to see if it could influence the decisions of other PPP heavyweights.

The PPP's dissolved innovation committee has urged senior party members not to run for another term or run in more difficult districts as a part of reform measures ahead of next April's parliamentary elections.

The committee, headed by an unconventional leader, Ihn Yo-han, a naturalized doctor and medical school professor at Yonsei University, ended a 42-day run earlier than expected after such recommendations were met by scrutiny from party leadership.

Likewise, Chang had strongly protested Ihn's demands for the PPP leadership and members of the pro-Yoon faction to make sacrifices for the party's reform.

The innovation committee wrapped up last Thursday after attempting to come up with measures to refresh the party, which was thrown into a crisis after following the PPP's crushing defeat in a by-election in Seoul's Gangseo District on Oct. 11, seen as a barometer of voter sentiment in the metropolitan area.

Chang had hinted at the possibility of not running in the April parliamentary elections in a Facebook post on Monday evening, saying he "would like to take a pause" after visiting his late father's grave.

He is the first of 111 incumbent PPP lawmakers to announce his intentions not to run for office again.

Chang, an important player in Yoon's election campaign, later served as chief of staff on his presidential transition team.

In May 2022, Yoon sent Chang as a special envoy to attend the funeral of United Arab Emirates President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Chang has continued to play a visible role in the party, including at the PPP's national convention on March 8, which led to the election of Kim Gi-hyeon as the party's new chief after the ouster of former Chairman Lee Jun-seok last year.

PPP Chairman Kim also canceled his appearances at public events on Tuesday, leading to speculation whether he will follow suit and make a similar decision. He is reportedly deliberating and could decide as early as this week.

"All members of our party, including myself, will let go of all vested interests that do not meet the people's expectations," Kim said in his party's supreme council meeting Tuesday. "We will respond to the people's call to save the people's livelihood and the economy with a live or die determination."

Kim, a four-term lawmaker and a former Ulsan mayor, has been facing growing pressure within the party to step down amid concerns over the PPP's dire prospects in next year's elections and resistance from some party members over following the recommendations made by the innovation committee. The PPP has also seen approval ratings drop to below 40 percent in recent opinion polls.

PPP leaders, including Chairman Kim, took part in a luncheon meeting with Yoon on Dec. 5 as a part of efforts to strengthen communication between the party and the presidential office ahead of the president's trip to the Netherlands this week.

PPP members pointed out that Chang has essentially opened the door for other members of the pro-Yoon faction to make "sacrifices" to rejuvenate the party's image ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.

The results of the parliamentary elections will determine the direction of the remaining half of the Yoon administration's five-year term as it tries to implement policy reforms in a parliament currently controlled by the Democratic Party.

This comes as the preliminary candidate registration for the April 10 general elections opened Tuesday.

Before official candidate registration opens on March 21, 2024, prospective candidates can register their preliminary candidacies with the National Election Commission (NEC), kicking off a four-month race.

The preliminary registration system, introduced in 2004, allows political newcomers to promote their candidacies before the official campaigning period begins two weeks before the elections.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]