MPK will elect new leader Saturday

Whoever wins, the ultimate winner will be Moon

By Kim Hyo-jin

Moon Jae-in

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) will elect a new leader and the eight members of its decision-making Supreme Council in a national convention today.

Whatever the results, Moon Jae-in, the party’s former chairman and a potential presidential candidate, is expected to be the “ultimate winner” because he is affiliated with most of the contenders.

This is why analysts view today’s event as a stepping stone for Moon’s bid to be a candidate in next year’s presidential race.

The contenders for party leadership are Rep. Choo Mi-ae, a five-term lawmaker; Kim Sang-gon, a former education superintendent of Gyeonggi Province; and Rep. Lee Jong-kul, a former party floor leader. All of them have close ties to Moon.

While Choo is backed by the mainstream Moon followers, Kim is supported by the lawmakers who follow the legacy of the late President Roh Moo-hyun.

Whoever takes power, it will pave the way for Moon’s presidential candidacy, according to party officials. Kim served on the party’s reform committee under Moon’s leadership, last year.

Also, those affiliated with Moon are expected to take at least four Supreme Council member post, Saturday.

The party wrapped up its regional elections, Sunday, selecting the heads of each regional bureau. Moon followers took most of the head posts.

According to the party’s regulations, they will select five Supreme Council members ― the seats allocated to five provinces including Seoul and Jeju, Gwangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang ― among themselves, today.

Except for Jeolla, competitors are all Moon followers, party officials said.

Some party members expressed concerns about the possibility of Moon's followers taking a grip on the new leadership in preparations for the presidential race.

They worry that Moon’s monopoly in the primary race could fail to attract the attention of voters. They are also concerned about the strong leftist image of the mainstream Moon followers.

“If one faction takes tight control of the party, it will deter the possibility of the party expanding the scope of its support base,” Rep. Kim Chong-in, the party’s interim leader, said in a radio interview, Friday.

Kim stressed that attracting centrist or center-right voters is the key to winning the presidential election. As part of these efforts, he maintains that the party remains unambiguous in its official position on the government’s plan to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery here.

Still, other members view favorably that Moon followers are taking control of the party.

“It will prevent unnecessary factional feuds in the run-up to the presidential race. This way, the party could be guided with a strong focus in working for Moon’s presidential campaign,” a lawmaker said.