[Politics, That Day...] The 'Hudanhyeop' Incident That Shook the Democratic Party After Selecting Its Presidential Candidate

Politicians Who Tried to Undermine Presidential Candidate Roh Moo-hyun... Glancing at Candidate Chung Mong-joon Outside the Party
Two Months Before the Election, Hudanhyeop Launches, Election Landscape in Turmoil... Rush of Lawmakers Leaving the Party One Month Before

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

Yeouido National Assembly Building.

In Korean politics, ‘Hudanhyeop’ often appears as a term symbolizing refusal to accept primary election results. Its full name is ‘Hubodanilhwa Chujin Hyeobuihoe’ (Council for Promoting Candidate Unification), abbreviated as Hudanhyeop. It is natural to pursue candidate unification in presidential elections. However, the Hudanhyeop movement in 2002 concealed political motives different from ordinary candidate unification.

The Millennium Democratic Party chose politician Roh Moo-hyun as its presidential candidate in April 2002. The party’s national primary was such a huge success that it was described as a ‘drama.’ Roh Moo-hyun’s emergence as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate was a result that the mainstream politicians within the party found difficult to accept.

Removing a candidate chosen through a primary election lacks political justification, but justifications are always found. The starting point was the crushing defeat in the June 2002 local elections. The Democratic Party’s results in the local elections, held under Roh Moo-hyun’s banner, were disastrous.

The party lost all metropolitan government positions in the Seoul Capital Area?including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon?to the Grand National Party, and failed to exert influence outside the Honam region. It is unreasonable to blame the local election defeat solely on Roh Moo-hyun’s personal capabilities. Public opinion also turned due to corruption allegations surrounding President Kim Dae-jung’s son, which was a significant factor.

After the local election defeat, only six months remained until the presidential election. Roh Moo-hyun’s political standing was shaken, and politicians preparing Hudanhyeop exploited this point. This was also the time of the 2002 World Cup fever.

The achievement of reaching the World Cup semifinals caused the stock of ‘politician Chung Mong-joon,’ former president of the Korea Football Association, to soar. Politicians preparing Hudanhyeop began to voice their opinions more actively. Skepticism grew that Roh Moo-hyun was not suitable as a candidate.

The criticism within the party went beyond mere disapproval and reached a point where Roh was effectively pressured to withdraw his candidacy. This movement materialized with the formation of Hudanhyeop. On October 4, 2002, 37 lawmakers, centered around the Democratic Party’s Moderate Reform Forum, established Hudanhyeop.

Hudanhyeop was a group urging the unification of Democratic Party candidate Roh Moo-hyun and lawmaker Chung Mong-joon, but in reality, it placed more weight on pressuring Roh to resign his candidacy. Some Democratic Party lawmakers devoted their efforts to promoting Chung Mong-joon despite having their own party’s presidential candidate.

The central election campaign committee of Roh Moo-hyun had to prepare for the presidential election while responding not only to Grand National Party candidate Lee Hoi-chang but also to forces within the party trying to shake the candidate.

Opinions on Hudanhyeop’s influence were divided. A lawmaker belonging to Hudanhyeop claimed that those expressing willingness to participate within the Democratic Party accounted for two-thirds of all lawmakers. Facing an openly destabilizing situation before the presidential election is not an easy challenge to overcome.

Hudanhyeop lawmakers within the Democratic Party concretized plans to form an independent party with Chung Mong-joon. One month before the presidential election, in November 2002, some Hudanhyeop members declared their resignation from the party. The Democratic Party was divided. The 2002 presidential election thus plunged into turmoil.

To break through the checks and pressures inside and outside the party, Roh Moo-hyun took a political gamble. He agreed to a public opinion poll-based candidate unification, which was considered unfavorable to him. The reversal card hit the mark. On November 24, 2002, Roh Moo-hyun defeated Chung Mong-joon through a public opinion poll primary and secured the status of unified candidate. The 2002 presidential election, shaken by Hudanhyeop, saw the public opinion poll primary become another turning point that changed the course of events.