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Song Eon-seok (center), newly appointed floor leader of the People Power Party, speaks with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik (left) and senior presidential secretary for political affairs Woo Sang-ho during a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 17. / Source: Lee Byung-hwa

Song Eon-seok, the newly elected floor leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), is stepping into a role fraught with challenges, ranging from defending against the ruling party’s push for multiple special counsel bills to easing internal factional divisions within his party.

On June 17, Song met with Kim Byung-ki, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), emphasizing the importance of "co-governance and communication." The PPP, still reeling from its loss in the 21st presidential election, is grappling with how to restore public trust amid criticism of being a regional party centered in the Yeongnam (southeastern) region.

Among the most pressing issues for Song is countering the DPK-led trio of special prosecutor bills — the “insurrection probe,” the “Kim Keon-hee probe,” and the “Chae Sang-byeong probe.” These investigations target alleged abuses of power under former president Yoon Suk-yeol. The PPP leadership has floated the idea of surveying party members to solidify opposition, but Song remains cautious. "We must be wary of deepening divisions within the party if such votes are held," he said earlier this week.

Song also faces the difficult task of reconciling rival camps within the party — notably those loyal to Yoon Suk-yeol and those aligned with former justice minister Han Dong-hoon. Some in the pro-Han faction blame the PPP’s defeat on the failure to sever ties with Yoon after his impeachment. They argue the next party leader must be completely untainted by both the impeachment and the illegal martial law declaration in December.

His leadership is also under scrutiny due to ongoing criticism that the PPP is overly dominated by Yeongnam politicians. Except for Kwon Seong-dong, a former floor leader from Gangwon Province, every PPP floor leader has come from Yeongnam. Acknowledging this perception, Song said he would prioritize rebuilding voter trust in the Seoul metropolitan area and "improving the party’s communication structure."

Meanwhile, the PPP has raised concerns about President Lee Jae-myung’s administration and its plans to pass a 20 trillion won ($14.5 billion) supplementary budget, along with major amendments to the Commercial Act and judicial system reforms. However, the opposition is likely to face obstacles even before policy debates begin, with the selection of the parliamentary Special Committee on Budget and Accounts chair expected to hit a wall during the upcoming plenary session on June 19.