South Korea’s opposition party elects Song Eon-seok as new floor leader

Rep. Song Eon-seok, a candidate in the People Power Party’s floor leader race, delivers his policy speech during a general assembly at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of June. 16. /Nam Kang-ho

The opposition People Power Party (PPP) elected Rep. Song Eon-seok, a three-term lawmaker from Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, as its new floor leader during a general assembly held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on June. 16.

Song won 60 of the 106 ballots cast, securing a majority in the leadership race. His competitors, four-term lawmaker Lee Hun-seung from Busanjin B District and fellow three-term lawmaker Kim Sung-won from Dongducheon and Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi-do, received 16 and 30 votes, respectively.

In his acceptance speech, Song said, “Our party needs change and reform. It is gravely mistaken to revert to the past—we must look only to the future. We must always keep the people in mind and consider what path the country should take.”

During his earlier policy presentation, Song pledged to expedite the party’s national convention to initiate structural reforms. He also proposed forming an innovation committee to lead the PPP’s transformation. “I will create a platform to gather the collective will of our lawmakers for renewal and change,” he said. “In the harsh reality of being a minority party, all I can offer is sweat, tears, and hard work.”

Born in Gimcheon, Song graduated from Gyeongbuk High School and earned a law degree from Seoul National University. A former economic bureaucrat, he passed South Korea’s 29th civil service exam and went on to serve as budget director and second vice minister at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance under former President Park Geun-hye. He was first elected to the National Assembly in a 2018 by-election and has since served three consecutive terms.