Opposition party launches campaign overhaul as Yoon's support drops among young people

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) promised a sweeping overhaul of its campaign committee Monday, and shed a feminist politician unpopular among young male voters as the party scrambled to stop declining support for presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.

Party floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, and chief policymaker, Rep. Kim Do-eup, also offered to leave their positions in a demonstration of their commitment to overhauling a campaign plagued by factional feuding.

The overhaul, which comes just two months ahead of the March 9 presidential election, could see the replacement of all six heads of campaign divisions, including Yoon's confidant, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, according to internal sources.

Earlier Monday, campaign chief Kim Chong-in previewed the changes, saying there will be an "overall reform" of the committee.

Yoon attended only one event in the morning and canceled his public schedule for the rest of the day to focus on restructuring the campaign.

"We have to perform a restructuring that includes the resignations of division chiefs," Kim told reporters after a committee meeting. "Only if we reform the committee in line with the public's sentiment will we able to compete in the election properly."

Yoon's approval rating has recently lagged behind that of ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung following a series of internal feuds involving PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok, and controversy over Yoon's wife allegedly lying on her resume.

In four public opinion polls published Monday, Lee led Yoon by between 1.7 and 9.7 percentage points.

Shin Ji-ye, a 31-year-old feminist politician who joined Yoon's campaign two weeks ago as senior deputy chair of the Saesidae Preparatory Committee, announced her departure on Facebook. The committee works directly under Yoon to woo moderates and liberals with an affinity for the conservative party.

Shin's recruitment was a surprise move that was expected to widen the conservative candidate's appeal among young female voters.

But Shin made clear in her post that she faced internal resistance, especially from PPP Chairman Lee, and had received all the blame for Yoon's falling support.

Lee and Shin had often clashed bitterly over gender issues, with Lee advocating for anti-feminist men in their 20s.

"I am stepping down from my position on the campaign committee, but I will do my best for a change of government wherever I am," Shin wrote.

Yoon posted his own message on Facebook shortly afterward, saying it was his fault Shin resigned.

"I failed to read the minds of those in their 20s and 30s with care," he wrote, adding he admits he "greatly disappointed" young voters by viewing gender issues through the lens of the older generation.

"From now on, I will acknowledge what the older generation does not know and start anew from a position that is sympathetic to the younger generations," Yoon wrote. (Yonhap)