Ruling party's presidential hopefuls gear up for primary race

From left are former Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Nak-yon, former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. Korea Times file

By Kang Seung-woo

With 10 months left before the presidential election, the “race for Cheong Wa Dae” has begun among potential candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), with some declaring their bids for the presidency and a dozen others planning to do so soon.

As the presidential election is scheduled to take place on March 9, 2022, the ruling camp plans to officially kick off its primary race in late June to pick its official standard bearer by September. President Moon Jae-in's term ends two months after the March election.

Led by the so-called “Big Three” presidential hopefuls ― Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, former DPK leader Rep. Lee Nak-yon and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ― 10 high-profile politicians are regarded as potential candidates.

Rep. Park Yong-jin, a two-term lawmaker, has become the first DPK national assemblyman to officially declare his bid for the presidency.

Regarded as a leading figure of a younger generation of lawmakers, Park said he will seek to reform politics in Korea through a generational change.

"I will create a happy nation and become a courageous and young president who stands up against unfairness and inequality,” he said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday.

The 50-year-old also criticized other presidential hopefuls, urging them to formally declare their candidacy immediately instead of weighing their chances of winning.

“If you make up your mind to run for the race, declare your candidacies instead of making ambiguous comments,” Park said, promising to create a political revolution.

Also on Sunday, Rep. Kim Du-kwan, a two-term lawmaker and former South Gyeongsang Province governor, said on Facebook that he would prepare for the presidential election although he did not formally file to run for president. Kim lost in the 2012 DPK primary.

“A sure-fire successor to former President Roh Moo-hyun and President Moon Jae-in, I will prepare for the primary,” Kim wrote. “Following President Moon's tolerance and reform-mindedness, I will set up a democratic and reform-minded government.”

He said he would announce his vision and policies to the public “at an appropriate time,” which will be the official announcement of his bid.

Rep. Park Yong-jin of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea announces his bid for the presidency at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times

Along with Park and Kim, South Chungcheong Province Governor Yang Seung-jo declared his bid for the presidency, Wednesday. In particular, Yang made the announcement in Sejong instead of Seoul, seeking to stress his link to former President Roh who built the administrative town.

A former four-term lawmaker, Yang is seeking to differentiate himself from other potential candidates given that he is the head of a local government outside the Seoul metropolitan area, amid the growing importance of the decentralization of power.

Lee Kwang-jae, a three-term lawmaker and former close aide to Roh, strongly indicated, Tuesday, that he will run for the presidency during a press conference in Seoul, while former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae is also said to be considering a run in the primary.

In the meantime, the Big Three are anticipated to officially announce their presidential bids in June, right before the DPK primary.

Ahead of their declarations, the three are currently focused on rallying their support bases.

On Wednesday, Lee launched a nationwide support group, “Square for Democracy and Peace,” comprised of 15,000 people including 18 active lawmakers. In addition, he also plans to set up a research group comprised of more than 30 lawmakers.

Chung and Lee Nak-yon also have launched their respective research group and think tank, the Gwanghwamun Forum and Solidarity and Symbiosis, both of which are made up of a large number of active lawmakers.

Currently, the Gyeonggi governor is the runaway leader from the ruling bloc, with his approval rating nearing 30 percent, while Lee Nak-yon and Chung are struggling to surpass the 10 percent mark.

Political watchers say whether the DPK will postpone the September primary could be a decisive factor in the outcome of the party race. Some party members have called for a postponement, saying deciding a candidate six months ahead of the presidential election is too early and the opposition candidate, who will be decided later, will gain more public attention as the election date approaches.

Delaying the primary could help the party's mainstream faction backing the president to buy time to search for a candidate loyal to him, according to Moon's supporters.

In fact, growing calls among Moon's supporters to delay the party's primary are believed to be aimed at stopping the Gyeonggi governor's dominant run.