SEOUL - The People Power Party’s (PPP) newly appointed innovation chief, Ihn Yohan, announced on Wednesday that his first official act in office will be to visit the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju. The visit is part of an initiative to foster national unity and reestablish public trust in the PPP.
According to a news release by Yonhap News Agency, who is a naturalized medical doctor of American descent, the visit is planned for when the committee members are decided, expected to be next week. Ihn was named earlier this week to lead the PPP's innovation committee, a decision that came in the wake of the party's significant defeat in a local by-election earlier this month. The committee has not yet begun its operations as its members have yet to be named.
Ihn expressed that the visit to the cemetery, located about 270 kilometers south of Seoul, is aimed at promoting national unity and implementing change within the PPP. The cemetery is a memorial for victims of a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju. The region and its surrounding Jeolla provinces have historically been strongholds for the main opposition Democratic Party. The violent suppression of the uprising is a point of contention that has created negative sentiment toward the PPP, which is seen as having roots in the military dictatorship responsible for the crackdown.
Ihn, who is also known by his English name John A. Linton, further stated his intention to engage in "unconstrained" conversations with President Yoon Suk Yeol. Critics have argued that PPP leaders have failed to speak candidly about how Yoon manages state affairs and other important issues.
Ihn has garnered attention for his unique background as South Korea's first special naturalized citizen and a descendant of an American missionary. He was raised in South Jeolla Province, a region traditionally aligned with the liberal bloc. Observers note that Ihn's planned visit to the May 18 National Cemetery mirrors a 2020 action by Kim Chong-in, a senior member of what was then known as the United Future Party, the PPP's former name. Kim was the first leader of a conservative party to pay respects at the cemetery.