LKP leadership race heats up

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered a leading candidate for the leadership post of the country's main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), speaks during a meeting with party members in Daegu, one of the party's heartland cities, Monday. Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul

Competition for leadership of the country's main opposition Liberty Party of Korea (LKP) is heating up as major candidates running for the top position are vying for backing from local party members.

On Monday, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered the strongest contender for the LKP leadership, attended events held in Busan and Daegu, both LKP strongholds.

Former Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Hwang's biggest contender, visited nuclear reactor facilities in the southeastern port city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and attended an event to discuss pending economic issues with party members in Busan, the party said.

Hwang plans to visit the party's regional offices in South Chungcheong Province, Gyeonggi Province and the Jeolla provinces to garner widespread support in the ongoing race, while Oh is scheduled to meet young party members who are dissatisfied with President Moon Jae-in's inability to resolve economy-related issues such as soaring housing prices and weak job market growth, party officials said.

“Hwang aims to broaden his political base across the country and Oh will be focused on winning support from party members who are unhappy with the government's economic policies,” one party official said.

Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, one of the strongest candidates for the leadership post of the LKP, makes his opening remarks at the start of a discussion session with party members held in Changwon Convention Center, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Yonhap

The LKP plans to elect its new leadership and its Supreme Council members at a national convention scheduled for Feb. 27 at the KINTEX Convention Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Hwang joined the party last week by saying he hopes to take on a “bigger role” inside the party. Hwang, who had served as acting president when former President Park Geun-hye was suspended from Cheong Wa Dae from late 2016 to early 2017, often leads in the polls as the most-wanted conservative representative for the 2022 presidential election.

Former Seoul Mayor Oh is considered the runner-up for the post. He rejoined the LKP in late November after years of absence from politics after he voluntarily resigned from his mayoral position in 2011.

Reps. Ahn Sang-soo and Kim Jin-tae plan to announce their bids for the LKP leadership post on Jan. 23. Chung Woo-taik is now on his way to broaden his political base by holding meetings with party members across the country as he is set to announce his bid for leadership in the upcoming party convention.

“The leadership race is getting more competitive as Hwang and Oh joined. Poll results have shown the two are supported by the country's conservatives and their support level can't be ignored by other contenders,” said another party official, adding lawmakers based in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the party's home turf, are likely to be united behind Hwang.

The approval rating of the LKP remained at 24.3 percent as of the end of the third week of January, according to a weekly poll conducted by pollster Realmeter. That was compared to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's 39.8 percent during the same period.