Jeong Jeom-sik elected People Power Party parliamentary leader... On Jang's future, he said, "I will listen to opinions"

[Financial News] Jeong Jeom-sik, a three-term lawmaker, has been elected as the People Power Party's new parliamentary leader. He faced a three-way race against four-term lawmaker Kim Do-eup and three-term lawmaker Sung Il-jong, and won after a runoff against Kim. As the party's floor leader, Jeong will oversee the People Power Party's parliamentary operations and strategy for the next year. A former prosecutor, Jeong represents the Tongyeong–Goseong constituency in South Gyeongsang Province and is classified as part of the pro-Yoon camp.
On the 10th, the People Power Party held a caucus meeting to elect its parliamentary leader and confirmed Jeong Jeom-sik as the next floor leader. In the first round of voting, none of the three candidates — Kim Do-eup, Jeong Jeom-sik, and Sung Il-jong — won a majority, so Jeong and Kim, who placed first and second, advanced to the runoff.
Jeong secured the final victory with 55 votes, a majority. Kim fell short with 48 votes, losing by seven.
Soon after his election was confirmed, Jeong said, "I will deeply remember the will of those who elected me as parliamentary leader at such a critical moment that will determine the fate of the party, and the heavy responsibility entrusted to me by the lawmakers." He added, "I believe that every vote cast for me was not support for me as an individual, but a stern order to rebuild the People Power Party and restore the public's shattered trust."
He continued, "We must put competition behind us and unite as one for the people and the party." He stressed, "There can be no factions, no division, and no confrontation. There is only one People Power Party, a party that follows the will of the people."
Jeong added, "I will take a firm stance in the upcoming negotiations over the parliamentary lineup," and "I will build a party that earns the public's expectations and makes its members proud."
After the caucus meeting, Jeong told reporters that on the issue of Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's future, "the parliamentary leader's authority is limited" and that he would "listen to lawmakers' opinions before moving forward."
Regarding Kim Do-eup's warning that the party could return to being a "pro-Yoon party," Jeong said he would take it "to heart" and would "present opinions on parliamentary and party operations so that such concerns can be dispelled."
As parliamentary leader, Jeong faces the task of not only handling the second-half negotiations over the parliamentary lineup, but also settling internal discord as the party's No. 2 figure amid a leadership vacuum under Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok. In addition, as lawmakers in the pro-Han camp push for the reinstatement of independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, he is also expected to discuss that issue.
haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter