Rep. Cho Jung-hun, chair of the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) 22nd General Elections White Paper Task Force, speaks during a meeting held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 14.
Yonhap By Anna J. Park The People Power Party (PPP) identified an unstable relationship between the ruling party and the government as a key factor in its major defeat in the 22nd general elections, according to its white paper released on Monday. The white paper, which outlines the causes and accountability for the conservative ruling party's loss in the general elections held in April, stated that the PPP was heavily influenced by negative public evaluations of the government's performance, given its political unity with the administration at the time.
"The party failed to respond adequately to various controversies that sparked strong criticism of the government, such as suspicions surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee’s luxury handbag gift and the medical school quota policy,” the report stated. The first issue involves the first lady's acceptance of a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor, while the second involves the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's efforts to increase medical school enrollment quotas to address a healthcare workforce shortage, especially in underserved areas. Doctors oppose the plan, because they fear it will compromise the quality of education, lead to job saturation and lower salaries.
"Rather than taking an opposing and distanced stance on these controversial.