[Politics, That Day...] The Fall of the 'Conservative Blue Chip,' Hwang Kyo-ahn's Mysterious First Move in January 2019

Aftermath of General Election Defeat Shakes Top Conservative Presidential Candidate's Position...Too Early a Debut? Political Image Exhaustion

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] ‘Politics, On That Day…’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Political leaders do not just fall from the sky. Many politicians approach the edges of power, but they disappear without rising to the ranks of political leaders who lead the spirit of the times. This is because, despite receiving high expectations, they fail to overcome political hurdles and reveal their limitations.

What kind of figure was politician Hwang Kyo-ahn? In conservative politics, which experienced the pain of defeat in the May 2017 presidential election, Hwang Kyo-ahn was a top blue chip. His political debut itself was a matter of interest in political circles. Attention was focused on how he would make the ‘first move’ on the vast Go board of politics.

The reason politician Hwang Kyo-ahn was regarded as a blue chip is also related to the limitation of ‘lack of alternatives.’ After politicians Hong Joon-pyo and Yoo Seung-min, who ran as presidential candidates, tasted defeat, there was a need for someone to become the hope of conservative politics. It was a yearning for a political lottery ticket that had not yet been scratched.

Politician Hwang Kyo-ahn is a figure who lived as a prosecutor, especially a public security prosecutor. From the perspective of conservative voters, his background is a plus factor. Moreover, considering his career as Minister of Justice, Prime Minister, and Acting President, he is a figure who is not lacking compared to anyone.

However, to become the person responsible for the 2022 presidential election, the most important ‘something’ was needed. That was verification as a political leader. January 15, 2019, was an important day for Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was regarded as a blue chip of conservative politics.

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is handing over his signed application form for joining the Liberty Korea Party to Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Byung-joon at the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He officially declared his entry into politics. On that day, at a press conference announcing his joining of the Liberty Korea Party, politician Hwang Kyo-ahn stated, “The first task is to become a strong opposition party that fights against the Moon Jae-in government,” and claimed, “The country is in a total crisis.”

This was a statement emphasizing the clarity of the opposition party. The slogan of a strong opposition party was good, but it was not enough to smoothly land as a political leader. Among opposition politicians, there are quite a few who have proven stronger fighting power than Hwang Kyo-ahn. However, not all of them are regarded as political leaders.

What the public expected from politician Hwang Kyo-ahn was a blueprint to lead the Republic of Korea. It means that there needed to be belief and confidence that things would get better if the country was entrusted to him. In that sense, it is worth questioning whether politician Hwang Kyo-ahn was thoroughly prepared when he entered politics.

It means we should consider whether it was right to declare his political entry ahead of the party convention to elect the leader of the Liberty Korea Party. The leader of the first opposition party is an important position. Politician Hwang Kyo-ahn’s entry timing coincided with the opposition party leader election. If he missed the opportunity, he would have to seek a political future as a rank-and-file member.

On the 27th, at the Liberty Korea Party's national convention held at Kintex in Ilsan to elect the next party leader and supreme council members, candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was elected as the party leader, is singing the song "Ibyang Jeonya." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

However, if one takes on a heavy responsibility without preparation in political skills, they may expose their limitations before even trying to realize their ambitions. It could have been the right choice to undergo a tempering process as a politician and then choose to go to Yeouido when it was time to make his decisive move.

As a result, politician Hwang Kyo-ahn achieved his first goal. On February 27, 2019, he became the winner at the Liberty Korea Party convention. This was a result predicted by many political experts. Candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn won the party leader election with 50.0% (68,713 votes), defeating Oh Se-hoon (31.1%, 42,653 votes) and Kim Jin-tae (18.9%, 25,924 votes).

The Liberty Korea Party entrusted the future of the party to a political rookie who had only been in politics for a month. Upon his election as party leader, Hwang Kyo-ahn pledged, “We will embark on a victorious grand journey toward a landslide victory in next year’s general election and regime change in 2022,” and “We will start a fierce battle to protect the people and the country against the tyranny of the Moon Jae-in administration.”

As politician Hwang Kyo-ahn stated, his immediate task was to lead a victory in the general election. If he won the general election, he could create a turning point and nurture the dream of reclaiming power in 2022. However, if he lost the general election, his political life itself could be threatened. This was a fate foreseen from the moment politician Hwang Kyo-ahn jumped onto the Yeouido stage in January 2019.

The 21st general election ended in a devastating defeat for the first opposition party led by politician Hwang Kyo-ahn. He himself suffered a crushing defeat in Seoul Jongno, where he faced off against the ruling and opposition presidential candidates. On April 15, the day of the general election, he stepped down from the position of party leader. His status plummeted sharply just over a year after entering politics.

The position of being the undisputed number one conservative presidential candidate was shaken. According to a ‘April next presidential candidate preference survey’ conducted by Realmeter commissioned by OhmyNews from April 20 to 24, targeting 2,552 adult men and women nationwide aged 18 and over, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon surged ahead with 40.2% as an overwhelming first place.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Politician Hwang Kyo-ahn ranked fourth with 6.0%, a drop of 13.4 percentage points from the previous survey. For detailed information, refer to the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.

The expectations for Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was once regarded as a blue chip of conservative politics, are no longer what they used to be. Until recently, there was analysis that he had established a ‘pro-Hwang system,’ but the situation changed after the general election defeat. There is even analysis doubting whether politician Hwang Kyo-ahn can make a comeback. Has he really fallen out of the presidential race?

What if Hwang Kyo-ahn, who emerged as an alternative for conservatives, had made a different choice? After the general election, the theory of the absence of alternatives for conservatives is intensifying again. If he had declared participation on the Yeouido stage in May 2020, would the 2022 presidential race have been a different picture? Politics is about timing. Politician Hwang Kyo-ahn may have judged January 2019 as the right time to enter politics, but it turned out to be a result that threatened his political life.