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Kwon Young-se, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), speaks during an emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on April 21. / Source: Yonhap News

Kwon Young-se, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), announced on April 21 that the party will push for the full relocation of the National Assembly to Sejong, pledging to end the era of Yeouido politics. The move is seen as a direct counter to Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung’s campaign promise to relocate both the National Assembly and the presidential office to Sejong in a bid to win over voters in the key Chungcheong region.

Speaking at an emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Kwon declared, “As promised in the last general election, we will close the chapter on the Yeouido era — a symbol of outdated politics — and open a new era of the National Assembly in Sejong.”

He emphasized the need for comprehensive reform, stating, “There are many historic tasks ahead of us, including constitutional reform. Now is the time to pursue not just policy but physical and spatial reform as well.”

Kwon criticized the entrenched political culture centered in Yeouido, saying, “We must boldly end the 50-year-old political grammar known as ‘Yeouido speak.’ Moving the National Assembly is not just about relocating a space. It’s a decisive effort to shift the political center toward the provinces, to create momentum for balanced regional development and establish a new political order for more effective governance.”

He concluded by affirming the party’s commitment: “The People Power Party will see this resolution through responsibly. We will return the Yeouido Assembly grounds to the public.”