Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
PPP loses public trust after failed gambit to replace presidential candidate
Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the People Power Party, registers his candidacy at the National Election Comission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Joint Press Corps
By Lee Hyo-jin
After week of chaos over candidacy merger, Kim Moon-soo confirmed as nominee while Han Duck-soo bows out
The chaos within the conservative People Power Party (PPP) over a failed attempt to replace its presidential candidate has left the party in disarray just before the official campaign period kicks off.
With only about three weeks left until the June 3 presidential election, the conflicts between its elected presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and the party leadership have gravely tarnished its public image. The chances of the PPP forming a so-called "big tent" with candidates of other minor parties against the front-runner Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also seem slimmer.
After a week of internal strife and a failed merger bid with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Kim registered as the PPP’s presidential candidate, Sunday.
The registration came hours after the PPP's all-member vote narrowly rejected the leadership's decision to replace Kim with Han.
"Despite the strong influence from the party’s leadership (pushing for a candidate change), I sincerely thank our party members for standing up for democratic values and overcoming this," Kim said after registering his candidacy at the National Election Commission.
Kim, who won the PPP’s primary on May 3, had faced mounting pressure from party leaders to merge his candidacy with Han, who had been running as an independent after resigning as prime minister on May 1.
Kim denounced the move as a "forced merger," insisting that he should lead any negotiations.
After merger talks between the two candidates collapsed, PPP leaders made a last-ditch effort early Saturday to install Han as the nominee. The party nullified Kim's candidacy and opened a brief registration window between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., during which Han joined the party and registered as its sole candidate.
However, after party members voted down the leadership's decision, Kim was reinstated as the nominee, putting an end to the weeklong dispute. Han withdrew his bid, saying he respects the voting outcome.
Rep. Kwon Young-se, center, then-interim leader of the People Power Party, heads to a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Saturday, to announce the results of the party's vote on the presidential candidate. Kwon resigned that day amid growing criticism over the party's candidate selection process. Yonhap
The draining internal rift has significantly weakened the PPP's position in the race, according to political observers, as the conservative party is already reeling from the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon, a PPP member, was ousted in April over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
"This kind of chaos, an unprecedented backdoor attempt by the party leadership to bring down its own nominee in such a baffling and clumsy way, has laid bare the internal problems of the PPP and how the leadership has been handling party affairs to suit their own tastes," political commentator Park Chang-hwan told The Korea Times.
"Not to mention that centrists are walking away, and even conservative voters may now be questioning their support for the PPP."
PPP interim leader Kwon Young-se resigned, taking responsibility for the failed merger, and handed over the role to floor leader Kweon Seong-dong. But the leadership change has done little to ease internal criticism.
Party bigwigs who took part in the primary lashed out at the leadership for orchestrating a "late-night coup" to switch candidates.
Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon wrote on Facebook that "Not even North Korea would do something like this," accusing the leadership what he described as an "undemocratic powerplay."
Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also weighed in, demanding the resignation of Kweon and other senior members involved in the attempted candidate replacement.
Campaign trucks for the People Power Party (PPP) lacking presidential candidate photos or campaign materials are seen at a vehicle center in Gwangju, Sunday, one day before the official campaign period begins. The PPP finalized its presidential candidate on Saturday night following disputes over an attempt to replace the winner of its primary. Yonhap
With the internal rift unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, Kim may find it increasingly difficult to realize his vision of forming a big tent with other candidates against the DPK's Lee, who enjoys a massive lead in polls.
Minor conservative Reform Party chief Lee Jun-seok, who registered his candidacy on Saturday, distanced himself from the PPP, emphasizing his intention to complete the race. Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, a liberal and outspoken critic of the DPK leader, withdrew his presidential bid.
Adding to the PPP's challenges in appealing to moderate voters is Kim's hardline image and perceived far-right stance. Following his confirmation, the DPK demanded Kim clarify his ties to ultra-right groups and publicly state his opinion on whether Yoon should be arrested again.
A former labor minister who resigned in April to run for president, Kim has drawn support from far-right conservatives for defending Yoon's martial law, insisting there must have been a "valid reason" behind it. He was the only Cabinet member who refused to apologize for the martial law fiasco.