Assembly stints no longer prerequisite for presidential bid

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, left, and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl / Yonhap

Public desire for fresh figures reflects distrust in established politicians

By Jung Da-min

People who have never served as lawmakers at the National Assembly have risen as strong presidential hopefuls ― a surprising new development in the nation's political scene.

Since the introduction of direct presidential elections in a 1987 constitutional amendment, all six presidents ― including Moon ― had prior experience in the National Assembly.

For the liberal ruling bloc's side, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is the leading presidential hopeful among other potential contenders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Lee has ranked second in recent polls of presidential hopefuls of both the ruling and opposition blocs, trailing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who has become a strong contender for the opposition bloc after his resignation from the top prosecutor post in early March.

From the opposition side, other potential candidates without careers as lawmakers are also rising including Former Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong and former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon. Choe offered to step down from the head post of the state audit agency, Monday. Kim, a career public official who served as President Moon Jae-in's first finance minister from June 2017 to December 2018, is also being mentioned as a potential opposition candidate among political watchers.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong speaks about his future plans at the BAI building in Seoul, Monday, after offering his resignation from the post. Yonhap

Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon speaks to reporters while running a volunteer group at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, June 20. Yonhap

Political watchers said the rise of those without lawmaker careers shows growing public distrust in established politicians, which was also observed in the surprise election of Lee Jun-seok, a 36-year-old who has never held a seat in the Assembly, as the youngest-ever chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) June 11.

Adding to this phenomenon is the growing public disappointment in the current Moon administration, which has been losing support over a series of policy failures in job creation and real estate market stabilization, while many ruling bloc figures have also been embroiled in corruption or real estate speculation scandals. An ironic situation is also unfolding as people who have held important positions in the Moon government are now becoming strong presidential hopefuls for the opposition bloc after clashing with the President over his policy drives.

Despite their lack of political experience as lawmakers, these figures have fresh images and have shown expertise in their respective fields.

Lee has strong experience in administration, as he served as Seongnam mayor and is now Gyeonggi Province governor. He has also focused on issues the Moon administration has failed to address, such as youth unemployment.

Yoon, the former top prosecutor, has shown strong determination and established an image as an advocate of “fairness” while confronting the current administration following investigations into corruption allegations against key figures of the ruling bloc.

Choe has an image of transparency, and Kim has strong points in economic policies.

But they may also face challenges as they need to compete with other veteran politicians who have a long history within the political establishment, and strong support bases.