People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk (right) and Floor Leader Song Eon-seok are seated side by side at a supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly on April 30. [Yonhap News] 

The People Power Party's "two top leaders," Leader Jang Dong-hyuk and Floor Leader Song Eon-seok, have virtually exposed cracks by carrying out different schedules on April 30, about a month before the June 3 local elections.

Amidst reports of disagreements over personnel appointments for the central election countermeasures committee, scheduled to launch on May 8, the "separate moves" in their individual schedules have led to interpretations within the party that an uncomfortable atmosphere between the two sides is being reflected.

Leader Jang and Floor Leader Song attended the supreme council meeting at the National Assembly that morning, but all subsequent schedules were mismatched.

While Leader Jang received policy tasks for the June 3 local elections from the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business at the National Assembly that morning, Floor Leader Song visited Noryangjin Fish Market to meet with voters.

In the afternoon, Floor Leader Song attended the opening ceremony of the election office for Osan mayoral candidate Lee Gwon-jae, while Leader Jang is scheduled to attend the Buddha's Birthday lantern lighting ceremony at the National Assembly's central lawn plaza in the evening.

Notably, Leader Jang appears to be focusing on his role as a "central speaker," concentrating on SNS messages or policy announcements targeting President Lee Jae-myung, rather than regional schedules, considering the recent on-site atmosphere.

Disagreements over issues such as the composition of the central election countermeasures committee are being cited within the party as the background for their separate activities.

Although Floor Leader Song recently defended Leader Jang against calls for his stepping back, stating, "Does the approval rating increase if the leader resigns?", interpretations suggest that their relationship has become strained due to disagreements over whether Leader Jang will join as a co-chairperson of the central election countermeasures committee, as is customary.

In response, both sides maintain that it is a "misunderstanding."

Floor Leader Song told reporters at Noryangjin Fish Market, "It seems to be a considerable misinterpretation (that their separate moves are due to disagreements). It's natural for even couples to go separately during election season. That way, we can engage with more citizens and it's much more efficient," drawing a line.

Choi Bo-yoon, the chief spokesperson for Leader Jang, also met with reporters after the supreme council meeting and said, "It is not appropriate for the party leader and the floor leader to attend all schedules together. Please understand that they are each fulfilling their roles for the victory of the election," and refuted the rumors of an unusual atmosphere between the two, stating, "We have heard nothing of the sort."

Meanwhile, election committees that do not include the central party leadership are also being launched one after another in various regions, accelerating a "each one fend for themselves" mode.

Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayoral candidate, launched a "Citizen Election Committee" and subsequently appointed Reps. Park Soo-min, Yoon Hee-sook, and Kim Jae-seop, who competed in the party primaries, as co-chairpersons, and placed party elders and senior members in the honorary advisor group.

Candidate Oh unusually did not invite the party leadership to the Seoul City Party Victory Rally held at the National Assembly on this day.

Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Seong-won, Song Seok-jun, Kim Eun-hye, Kim Seon-kyo, and Kim Yong-tae, whose constituencies are in Gyeonggi Province, also recently announced their intention to launch their own election committee for Gyeonggi Province, explaining, "The judgment that the party leadership is not fulfilling its role was also a background factor."

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok also formed an election committee with former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, and Reps. Na Kyung-won and Ahn Cheol-soo as honorary chairpersons.

Even in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, where conservative support is strong, the formation of individual election committees is being discussed.

Gyeongbuk Governor candidate Lee Cheol-woo proposed the formation of a unified election committee for Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and Daegu Mayor candidate Chu Kyung-ho responded positively. Busan Mayor candidate Park Hyeong-jun also mentioned the need for an election committee that considers regional characteristics.

People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk (right) and Floor Leader Song Eon-seok are seated at a supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly on April 27. [Yonhap News] 

The party leadership appears bewildered by these moves. Their deliberations on the personnel appointments for the central election countermeasures committee, which was to be formed after the completion of candidate nominations, are inevitably deepening.

In particular, whether Leader Jang, the party's prominent figure, will join as a co-chairperson is the key issue. The formation of the central election countermeasures committee is a resolution of the supreme council, and the situation ultimately depends on Leader Jang's decision.

It is known that Floor Leader Song has requested Reps. Na Kyung-won, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Kim Gi-hyeon to serve as co-chairpersons.

However, they have reportedly not yet given a definitive answer.

Opinions are divided both within and outside the party regarding the issue of Leader Jang stepping back to a secondary role.

Elder Lee Jae-oh, director of the Kim Dae-jung Presidential Library and Museum, appeared on CBS Radio on this day and emphasized, "The central election countermeasures committee should be transformed into an emergency committee with all leadership authority transferred to it," and added, "The election committee should be newly formed with respected elders, experts, and young people who have gained public trust, transcending factions, and excluding current members who were part of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration."

Supreme Council Member Kim Jae-won also pointed out on YTN Radio, "I feel regret and disappointment that the leadership may not be sensitive enough to the on-site atmosphere yet."

However, Leader Jang's camp has drawn a line on the issue of resignation or stepping back to a secondary role.

Cho Kwang-han, a supreme council member appointed by Leader Jang, showed Kim Jeong-hui's "Sehando" (A Painting of Winter Scenery) during the supreme council meeting today and suggested that there would be no stepping back to a secondary role, stating, "The appearance of silently holding one's ground in the harsh winter is the deepest and firmest root that stabilizes the wavering center of the party," and added, "True loyalty is not shown on a blooming spring day, but in a snowstorm-ridden winter."

Leader Jang is also known to be attending the opening ceremonies of the election offices for Busan Mayor candidate Park Hyeong-jun and Daegu Mayor candidate Chu Kyung-ho, scheduled for May 2-3.

An associate of Leader Jang told Yonhap News, "Both candidates extended invitations, and Leader Jang will attend all of them." However, it was reported that he would not have any other regional schedules besides the opening ceremonies.