Ahn Cheol-soo targets pro-Han faction, calls for purge of 'reinstatement activists'

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo on Wednesday called for the elimination of what he termed "reinstatement activists" — figures who left the party through expulsion or other means and are now seeking to return — and said they should be barred from candidate support in the next general election. The remarks were widely interpreted as a direct broadside against the pro-Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) faction, drawing mixed reactions from within the party.

Ahn held a press conference at the National Assembly that morning, saying "now is the right time for the Organization Strengthening Special Committee to set clear goals and get to work." He said the Lee Jae Myung government's policy failures were reaching a peak, that the president's approval rating was falling sharply, and that the Democratic Party was being torn apart by internal strife.

He then said that "those who serve a specific individual outside the party, act as wreckers to that end, and divide the party must be removed from the People Power Party," and urged that they "be excluded from candidate support eligibility in the next general election."

The comments were seen as effectively targeting the pro-Han faction. After the press conference, when reporters asked whether "reinstatement activists" referred to pro-Han figures, Ahn said, "Even without naming names, I think people will know who I mean."

Ahn also urged disciplinary action against lawmakers who have sparked internal controversy. He named Kwon Young-jin, Seo Beom-su, Jin Jong-oh and Jo Gyeong-tae — all facing proceedings before the party's Central Ethics Committee over remarks directed at a victim of the so-called Busan kick assault case and a separate physical altercation incident — saying the party must "weed out those who have left an ethical stain on the People Power Party."

"How can we criticize the Democratic Party, which is neglecting its internal ailments while churning out harmful policies?" he said, adding that "anything that falls below the public's common sense must be boldly cut out and dealt with."

Ahn also called for a reorganization of the party's grassroots structure through the Organization Strengthening Special Committee, particularly urging a focus on the Greater Seoul area, which he identified as the key battleground in the next general election.

"We must maximize our organizational strength with moves tailored to the Greater Seoul area, the fiercest contest in the next general election," he said, adding that "those who have dedicated themselves to the party must all be taken care of." He also said positions vacated by the replacement of local chapter heads should be filled quickly with such people so the party can begin preparing for the next election now.

Reactions within the party were divided. PPP Supreme Council member Jo Gwang-hwan wrote on Facebook that he "strongly agreed" after seeing Ahn's press conference, saying Ahn had "clearly pointed out why our party exists and what it needs to do."

Han Ji-a, a lawmaker considered part of the pro-Han faction, took a different tone on Facebook. "I want to believe in Ahn Cheol-soo's 'new politics,'" she wrote. "Please speak again of 'new politics,' not 'my politics.' Please pursue 'unity,' not 'exclusion.' I would like to ask that of senior politician Ahn Cheol-soo."

Lawmaker Woo Jae-jun said Ahn had entered the plenary chamber and declared his support even during the first impeachment vote on Dec. 7, 2024, when no one else joined in. "Even so, the criticism directed at him was relatively limited because former party leader Han took on most of the political cross of supporting impeachment," he said. "It is sad to now see him standing with angry party members and criticizing former leader Han."