Rise and fall of potential presidential contenders

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 07:25

Politics

Rise and fall of potential presidential contenders

Posted : 2020-04-16 16:17

Updated : 2020-04-16 17:49

1Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea poses for photos with residents in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Thursday, after winning the general election for the constituency the previous day. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Kim Rahn

Wednesday's general election produced mixed results for the political bigwigs who have been often referred to as potential presidential contenders.

Winners will have their stature and influence elevated within the party and gain the upper hand in the next presidential race, while losers not only lost their National Assembly seats but also face a gloomy future in their political careers.

A prominent winner was Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) who won in the Jongno constituency over Hwang Kyo-ahn, chairman of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP). He gained 58.3 percent of the vote to Hwang's 39.9 percent.

United Future Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn bows in the National Assembly Library, Wednesday, after announcing his resignation from the party chief position to take responsibility for the party's crushing defeat in the general election. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

The former prime ministers ― Lee under President Moon Jae-in and Hwang under former President Park Geun-hye ― had gained the largest support in their parties as potential presidential candidates according to public surveys.

Jongno is also a significant district in the nation's political history, as three former presidents have represented the central Seoul constituency ― Yun Po-sun, Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak.

The victory in central Seoul will give Lee, a former South Jeolla Province governor, a foothold to become a national-level politician and strengthen his lead as the presidential contender for the liberal bloc.

Hwang, on the contrary, has lost ground within the UFP following not only his own defeat in Jongno but also the crushing defeat of his party. Hours after the defeat was forecast, Wednesday night, he announced his resignation from the party chief post.

He said he would keep looking for things to do to contribute to the country, but it is widely forecast his return to a leadership post in the party may not be easy.

Oh Se-hoon, the main opposition United Future Party candidate for the Gwangjin-B District in Seoul, lost to Ko Min-jung from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap

In Seoul's Gwangjin-B constituency, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the UFP lost to former presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung, with 47.8 percent of the vote to Ko's 50.3 percent.

Although the district has been dominated by the liberal bloc for 20 years and the margin for Ko was not large, the defeat will deal a blow to the veteran politician as Ko was a rookie. In addition, it was Oh's second defeat following the 2016 election, so being without a National Assembly seat for such a long period, he may not have much of a good chance to emerge as a presidential candidate for the conservative bloc for some time.

Kim Boo-kyum of the DPK, who ran in the Suseong-A District of Daegu, lost badly to Joo Ho-young of the UFP, 39.2 percent to 59.8 percent.

His 2016 victory in the district, the traditional home turf of the conservatives, was a surprise, and with his reelection bid, he attempted a leap forward, saying he would run in the presidential race if he won in the general election.

But he lost, and his rival Joo has taken one step toward entering the race instead.

Two former UFP members ― Hong Joon-pyo, former head of the main opposition party, and Kim Tae-ho, former South Gyeongsang Province governor ― won in their respective districts, Suseong-B in Daegu and Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province.

Wanting to run in their hometowns, the two refused the UFP leaders' requests to run in highly competitive constituencies in Seoul and the surrounding area, and so failed to win a party nomination. They quit the party to run in the constituencies of their choice.

Their victories showed the opposition party's misjudgment, and will raise their political influence. They had said they would return to the party after winning, and although the party initially said it would not allow them to do this, it may eventually accept them as the UFP won far fewer seats than expected and two additional representatives would be more than welcome.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr