PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon to decide his next move amid mounting pressure to resign

Rep. Jang Je-won of the People\'s Power, a key member of the pro-Yun Suk column, holds a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on Wednesday after announcing that he will not run in next year\'s 22nd National Assembly elections. By Park Min-gyu Senior Reporter parkyu@kyunghyang.com

PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon did not show up at the National Assembly on December 12 and began pondering his next move.

Some say that Kim's decision is imminent as calls for accepting the innovation plan have grown due to the announcement of lawmaker and PPP member Jang Je-won, who is also a key member of the pro-Yoon Suk-yeol faction, not running in the general election. Although Kim seems highly likely to announce that he will not run for office or run for office in a difficult district, some are also talking about the possibility of announcing his resignation from the party leader.

Kim did not show up at the National Assembly on Tuesday and also canceled a volunteer work sharing briquette in Seoul's Guryong village, which was organized by the PPP, on Monday.

Members of the party leadership say that the pre-emptive announcement by Jang, a pro-Yoon figure who was part of the "Kim and Jang Coalition" and helped Kim to be elected as a party leader at the party convention in March, also made Kim decide his next move faster.

It is predicted that Kim will not run in the upcoming general election or run in a difficult district in Ulsan. He is reportedly not considering running in a district of the Seoul metropolitan area. Some in the party speculate that he will step down from the party leader and keep his office in his current constituency in the southern part of Ulsan.

PPP members Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo urge Kim to resign

Lawmaker and PPP member Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on his social media account that "It seems that Jang is taking the blame for helping Kim to become a party leader through the Kim and Jang Coalition," and added, "It's still not enough to reverse the cold public sentiment."

It is also noteworthy that the demand for accepting the innovation plan will extend to other key pro-Yoon figures, such lawmakers Park Sung-min and Park Soo-young, or other senior lawmakers in Yeongnam region.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.