[Politics, That Day...] The 36-Year-Old Party Leader Wind That Hit the Justice Party Before the 'Lee Jun-seok Storm'

People Power Party Leadership Primary, Focus on 36-Year-Old Young Candidate Lee Jun-seok's Election Prospects
In 2015 Justice Party Leadership Primary, 36-Year-Old Cho Sung-joo Competed Strongly Against Sim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan

[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 scenes, events, and figures that deserve attention.

On the 25th, the People Power Party's first party convention was held at Nurikkum Square in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Candidate Lee Jun-seok, running for party leader, is presenting his vision.

Politician Lee Jun-seok has emerged as a key keyword in Yeouido's political scene. Born in March 1985, former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok is a young politician aged 36. He is creating a sensation in the People Power Party's leadership race.

Although he has experience running for public office (National Assembly member), he has never been elected. His strong competitiveness against senior politicians in the People Power Party has drawn attention to his final results.

Considering the traditional sentiment of conservative parties, the success of a politician in his 30s is an unfamiliar scene. Compared to multi-term lawmakers, former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok has weaknesses such as limitations in organizational power and doubts about his ability to manage a presidential campaign. It remains to be seen whether he can present a vision and solutions for the development of Korean society as required of the leader of the main opposition party.

For this reason, some analyses suggest that his early success may not easily continue until the end. Ultimately, senior politicians who have served as floor leaders are expected to gain momentum. While the final election results remain to be seen, Lee Jun-seok's strong performance is acting as a stimulant throughout Yeouido's political circles.

This is not the first time a young politician has challenged for party leadership in Yeouido. Most are either cut off in the preliminary rounds or satisfied with just making their names known. An interesting point is that there is a party that has previously experienced a young party leader surge.

The July 2015 Justice Party leadership election was a contest where an unknown politician aged 36 caused a stir. Coincidentally, the protagonist was also 36 years old at that time, the same age as former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok now.

The protagonist's name is politician Cho Sung-joo. Born in October 1978, he was 36 years old when he challenged the Justice Party leadership election in July 2015. At that time, Cho Sung-joo faced candidates who were symbolic figures of progressive parties: Shim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan.

Politician Cho Sung-joo's challenge was close to an egg hitting a rock. Although he gained some recognition through his activities with the Youth Union, his name recognition was not comparable to that of Shim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan.

Jung Sung-joo, former Justice Party presidential candidate.

Candidates Shim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan had become National Assembly members after winning the 17th general election in 2004 and had grown into nationwide politicians based on their legislative activities. The equation ‘Progressive Party = Shim Sang-jung and Roh Hoe-chan’ was established, making them the flagship politicians of the party.

Against such figures, Cho Sung-joo's strategy was political ‘clarity.’ At that time, he strongly criticized the Justice Party's attempt to seek political solutions through an electoral alliance with the Democratic Party.

Politician Cho Sung-joo's bold moves amplified expectations for ‘generational change.’ Even within the Justice Party, some viewed the 36-year-old leadership challenge with skepticism, doubting whether a relatively unknown politician could provide the stability required to perform the role of party leader.

Conversely, for those yearning for ‘change,’ politician Cho Sung-joo was a candidate worthy of hope. Support for him spread regionally in the metropolitan area, among those born after the 1970s, and mainly among recent party entrants. So, what was the outcome of the 36-year-old leadership challenge?

The results of the first round of the party leadership election surprised Yeouido's political circles. Cho Sung-joo secured 17.1% of the vote, proving his impact. Although he failed to advance to the runoff by not surpassing Roh Hoe-chan (43%) and Shim Sang-jung (31.2%), it was a sufficient result to demonstrate the desire for change.

Six years later, has the Justice Party succeeded in turning the desire for change in 2015 into an asset for the party? Utilizing the desire for change and its dynamism as a foundation for development is also related to the party's capabilities. Comparing the Justice Party of 2015 with the current Justice Party, it is not difficult to find the answer by examining which period holds more dynamism.

The 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok surge in the People Power Party is no different. For the People Power Party to grow to the next level, it must find the source of expectations for a young party leader and how to connect that desire to the party's development momentum.