Ruling Party Leadership Race Sees Successive Candidacies, 'Freshman Storm' by Opposition Lawmakers... Will They Lead People Power Party's Reform?

First-term Lawmakers Throw Down the Gauntlet... 'Newcomers vs Veterans' Rivalry Intensifies
Party Leader Poll: Lee Jun-seok Tops, Surpassing Na Kyung-won
Experts Say "First-term Moves Are Positive... But Results Are Needed"

(From left) Kim Woong, Kim Eun-hye, Yoon Hee-sook, members of the People Power Party, and former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] As first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party (PPP) have successively declared their candidacies for party leadership, the upcoming June 11 party convention is shaping up into a fierce competition framed as 'newcomers vs. veterans.' Some first-term lawmakers are not hesitating to make candid remarks toward veteran lawmakers who emphasize experience, engaging in open tensions.

Attention is focused on whether the PPP can shed its past image of hardline conservatism and continue the reform momentum initiated under former Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in. Experts positively evaluate the active moves of first-term lawmakers but emphasize that tangible results must be achieved.

◆ Kim Woong, Kim Eun-hye, Lee Jun-seok, Yoon Hee-sook... New Forces Eyeing Party Leadership

Earlier, on the 13th, Representative Kim Woong became the first first-term lawmaker to announce his intention to run for party leader. In a post on Facebook, Kim pointed out, "We received over 60% of the votes in the by-election, but our party's approval rating does not even reach half of that. The anger toward the Moon Jae-in administration is not translating into support for us. This is because we have failed to gain the trust of the people."

He diagnosed the reason for the PPP's lack of support as "the fear that we might regress to the past is the very obstacle blocking us and the people," emphasizing, "Change begins with the face of the party. Only new leadership can break free from old norms and venture into a broader world."

Kim Eun-hye, who served as spokesperson under the Kim Jong-in emergency committee, officially declared her candidacy for party leader on the 14th. She stressed change and reform, saying, "What our party must most guard against is regressing back to 'Road Korea Party' by going back in time," and "What the party leader needs is solely the vision and capability to overcome this crisis and open the future."

Additionally, Representative Yoon Hee-sook, who gained national recognition with her "I am a tenant" speech, is reportedly considering running, and former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok has expressed his intention to run from outside the National Assembly.

Veteran and leadership-level candidates include Representatives Joo Ho-young (five terms), Cho Kyung-tae (five terms), Hong Moon-pyo (four terms), Yoon Young-seok (three terms), and Cho Hae-jin (three terms). Former Representative Shin Sang-jin, who served four terms, has declared his candidacy from outside the Assembly. Former Representative Na Kyung-won is also reportedly leaning toward running and is coordinating the timing of her official announcement.

Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party, is declaring her candidacy for the party leader election in front of the Blue House Fountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

◆ 'Newcomers vs. Veterans' Tensions Intensify... Sharp Exchanges Emerge

The challenge for party leadership by first-term and young politicians is considered an unusual phenomenon. Until now, leadership contests in conservative parties have mainly been the domain of veteran lawmakers in their 50s and 60s. As a result, tensions between new and veteran forces are becoming increasingly tense.

Earlier, Representative Kim Woong engaged in a verbal exchange with Hong Joon-pyo, an independent lawmaker and former leader of the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the PPP, over the party leadership race.

On the 9th, Hong criticized Kim, saying, "Isn't it a bit much for someone who has only been in politics for a year to recklessly claim they want to be party leader just by emphasizing their age? Early blooming flowers wither early." Kim responded, "Early blooming flowers may wither early, but plum blossoms bloom even in the biting wind. I will live like a plum blossom. Sir, please live like an everlasting artificial flower."

Representative Joo Ho-young and former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok also engaged in an unexpected 'mountain climbing debate.'

On the 11th, on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Joo said, "If you want to mount an expedition to Everest, you can't just climb the local hills," warning against first-term lawmakers' bids for party leadership. Lee retorted, "Sir, you climbed Palgongsan Mountain five times, so why didn't you aim for more difficult and challenging places?" pointing out that Joo had been elected five consecutive terms only in Daegu, a PPP stronghold.

Lee continued, "Everest is high, but it is still a mountain under the sky," emphasizing, "A true mountaineer always challenges higher and more difficult peaks. I will never settle and will continuously challenge myself throughout my political career to reach that mountain."

Former Floor Leader of the People Power Party, Joo Ho-young, is speaking at the regular seminar "Into a Better World" held on the 13th at Mapo Forum in Mapo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Lee Jun-seok Tops Party Leader Polls... Can Young Politicians Bring Reform to the Opposition?

Amid escalating tensions between first-term and veteran lawmakers, former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok has overtaken former Representative Na Kyung-won, who had held the top spot in polls for the next party leader.

According to a poll released on the 16th, commissioned by Money Today The300 and the Future Korea Research Institute to polling agency PNR (People Networks Co., Ltd.), Lee received 20.4% in the 'party leader suitability' survey, beating Na, who received 15.5%, by about 5 percentage points.

Third place went to Representative Joo Ho-young with 12.2%, followed by Kim Woong with 8.4% in fourth place, and Hong Moon-pyo and Cho Kyung-tae tied for fifth with 4.3% each.

With Lee Jun-seok, an outsider, topping the polls over veteran lawmakers and the momentum of young politicians showing no signs of slowing, a fierce competition is expected to continue until just before the party convention on the 11th. Attention is focused on whether the party can shed its old conservative image and achieve reform representing the younger generation.

Experts analyze that the People Power Party has entered a full-fledged generational transition period. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "It appears that internal conflicts are arising as the PPP faces a period of change," adding, "Since the PPP, which had an old image in the past, needs to change, the active moves of first-term lawmakers seem to be a productive and positive process."

He added, "However, the key point is that many words without results are meaningless," emphasizing, "The public will consider that change has been achieved only when someone becomes the leader or shows notable performance to be mentioned as a future presidential candidate, producing tangible outcomes."