Campaigns for LKP leadership begin

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP)'s leadership candidates, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, left, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, center, and Rep. Kim Jin-tae wave during their first joint election campaign in Daejeon, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party's (LKP) election campaign for the party leadership officially started, Thursday.

The three candidates ― former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Rep. Kim Jin-tae ― had their first joint campaign, in Daejeon, laying out their political visions. The LKP will hold a national convention on Feb. 27 near Seoul to elect its new leader and Supreme Council members.

“Due to the tyranny of the Moon Jae-in administration, people's lives fell into misery,” Hwang said.

“I will prioritize seeking the unification of the LKP. I will build guidelines on conducting a fair party reshuffle. I will make a consultation group to seek unification of the party based on common policies.”

“It is not enough to win nonpartisan voters with Hwang and Kim who are conservative hardliners,” Oh said. Oh added that Hwang and Kim remind us of former President Park Geun-hye which will lead to losing the general election.

“As the leader of the people, I, an administrator on people's livelihood who can fill the people's warehouses and a conservative reformist, will lead to win the general election in central areas.”

Kim said, “I am here to fight against the Moon Jae-in administration, not LKP leadership candidates.”

“If I become the leader of the LKP, it will truly become a strong right-wing party.”

Earlier, six out of eight contenders, except for Hwang and Kim, pledged not to run in the race unless the party accepts their request to postpone the national convention on Feb. 27, as it clashes with a second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.