[Politics, That Day...] Historic 'Whale Fight', The Forgotten Existence of the 3rd Place Candidate

Lee Myung-bak - Park Geun-hye 2007 Hannara Party Primary, 3rd Place Then Was Won Hee-ryong... 'Big Dream' Again Ahead of 2022 Presidential Election

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, 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.

Won Hee-ryong, Jeju City, attended the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee hearing on the 20th, answering questions from lawmakers regarding the national audit of Gangwon Province, Gyeongsangbuk Province, Chungcheongbuk Province, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Regarding the 2022 presidential race, the ruling party's internal primary between Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is a guaranteed hit. While the competition between these two is fascinating, the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary was a contest worthy of historical record.

It was the fiercest and hottest-ever ‘whale fight’ among party primaries to select a presidential candidate. In fact, the winner of the Grand National Party presidential primary became president, and the narrowly defeated candidate was elected president five years later. The former is former President Lee Myung-bak, and the latter is former President Park Geun-hye. When discussing the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary, most remember only the showdown between Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.

At that time, it is true that the two were far ahead in terms of public opinion poll support rates, party organizational base, and the size of their enthusiastic supporters. However, the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary was not an election contested by only these two. There were three other candidates who challenged for the Grand National Party presidential nomination in 2007.

The protagonists are politician Hong Joon-pyo, who ran as the Liberty Korea Party candidate in the 2017 presidential election, and politician Ko Jin-hwa, a former Grand National Party member of the National Assembly. The other is politician Won Hee-ryong, known as the ‘eternal reformist.’ He is one of the members of the so-called ‘Nam-Won-Jeong’ trio.

Politicians Nam Kyung-pil, Won Hee-ryong, and Jeong Byeong-guk, known as ‘Nam-Won-Jeong,’ began their parliamentary careers as Grand National Party members after winning the 16th general election in 2000. They left a strong impression by leading the ‘reform agenda’ of conservative politics and are still called the ‘eternal reformists’ even after 20 years.

The strong image of ‘Nam-Won-Jeong’ remaining to this day not only reflects their vigorous activities at the time but can also be interpreted as meaning that the ‘young blood’ injected into conservative politics afterward neglected to lead the reform agenda.

Among ‘Nam-Won-Jeong,’ the first to act on his ‘big dream’ was politician Won Hee-ryong. He ranked third in the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary, which was contested mainly between the two powerhouses Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Candidate Ko Jin-hwa withdrew midway, and candidate Hong Joon-pyo remained in fourth place at that time.

Candidate Lee Myung-bak received 49.56% of the votes, and candidate Park Geun-hye got 48.06%. Meanwhile, candidate Won Hee-ryong received 1.46%, and candidate Hong Joon-pyo only 0.92%.

President Park Geun-hye

Entering the historic whale fight as a competitor was not an easy choice. However, it was not without political gains. Ten years later, in 2017, the Liberty Korea Party presidential primary ended with politician Hong Joon-pyo’s victory. Being able to run as the conservative politics’ representative presidential candidate was the result of gaining political experience and resilience through the 2007 Grand National Party primary and others.

Interestingly, politician Hong Joon-pyo and Won Hee-ryong, who tasted defeat in the 2007 party primary, are preparing to compete again ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Although their party affiliations are currently different, both are classified as presidential candidates from the broad opposition camp.

Politician Won Hee-ryong is showing the most active moves among the presidential candidates. Although he has not officially declared his candidacy, he has effectively thrown his hat into the ring and is expanding his political footprint. Compared to 2007, his political stature has changed significantly.

Twenty years have passed since his debut on the Yeouido stage. He has accumulated various political experiences as a senior lawmaker. He has also increased his political weight by being elected twice as a metropolitan government head (Governor of Jeju Province). However, the presidency is a challenge on a different level from being a lawmaker or metropolitan government head.

If the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary was an opportunity to showcase his capabilities as a politician, the 2022 presidential election might be his last and most important challenge in his political career. It means this is an opportunity that cannot be satisfied with merely gaining experience.

The presidential election is less than one year and five months away. Time is not abundant. Considering the current public opinion poll support rates, the road ahead is long. The somewhat hopeful situation for politician Won Hee-ryong is that the other presidential candidates in the broad opposition camp are in similar circumstances. The absence of a clearly leading figure in the presidential race means that the possibility is open to anyone.

Since former leader Hwang Kyo-ahn suffered a blow in the 21st general election in Seoul’s Jongno district, conservative politics has faced the reality of lacking alternatives. Can politician Won Hee-ryong seize the opportunity, leaving behind the pain of 13 years ago? The key lies in imprinting his competitiveness in the presidential race. If he can instill the expectation that choosing him will lead to victory in 2022, it could lead to a vertical rise in support rates.