The Power Shift in the People Power Party Primary with Choi Jae-hyung Joining... Who Is Kim Jong-in's Top Pick?

Chairman Kim's Influence Expected to Play Major Role in Final Candidate Selection
Question Marks Remain for Former Director Choi... Bitter Criticism Still for Former Prosecutor General Yoon

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, who joined the People Power Party, is attending the party admission ceremony held at the People Power Party Central Office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 15th, expressing his thoughts on joining the party. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong and Park Juni] With former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung joining the People Power Party, the lineup of presidential candidates is roughly taking shape. Now, political attention is focused on who the so-called 'kingmaker,' former Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, will support. On the 16th, Kim said in an interview that with former Chairman Choi’s recent party entry, "all the candidates are now on the primary bus," and he explained his opinions on each prospective candidate in great detail. For now, Kim predicted that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl will not join the People Power Party.

In the radio interview that day, Kim expressed some reservations about former Chairman Choi. He said, "It seems that from the time Choi was serving as the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman, he had the intention of entering politics," adding, "So he resigned early from his post without completing his term, declared his political ambitions, and probably thought he needed a political platform, which is why he suddenly joined the party." He continued, "Choi has not clearly explained why he decided to participate in politics at this point," and criticized, "Just vaguely saying 'I will lead the Republic of Korea with dignity' is not enough to persuade the general public."

Kim was also critical of former Prosecutor General Yoon. Regarding Yoon’s recent declining approval ratings, Kim said, "He needs to show at least a minimum vision to be trusted," and added, "Since we haven’t seen that yet, people inevitably have doubts about 'What will that person actually do?'" About former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, who is expected to launch a presidential bid with the release of his book 'Breaking Korea’s Taboos' on the 19th, Kim said, "When the lives of ordinary people start to deteriorate, the term 'economic president' naturally comes up," suggesting that Kim Dong-yeon could be a 'game changer.'

In a phone interview with this outlet the previous day, Kim also stated, "The presidential race has changed with former Chairman Choi’s entry," but predicted, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon will compete from outside the party." He gave somewhat harsh assessments of other prospective candidates Hong Joon-pyo, Won Hee-ryong, and Yoo Seung-min, saying they "lack vision" and have "unclear perceptions of reality."

So far, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, has hinted that Kim Jong-in will once again lead the election by saying things like, "I want to bring Kim Jong-in on as the election campaign committee chairman," and "Kim Jong-in will be sitting next to the People Power Party candidate during the presidential vote count broadcast."

Meanwhile, former Chairman Choi did not have any official schedule that day but was focusing on drafting a message related to the upcoming Constitution Day, which is just a day away. A member of Choi’s campaign said, "We are refining the message to be released on Constitution Day."

Some quarters have criticized former Chairman Choi’s move to join a political party just 17 days after resigning as Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman as an 'anti-constitutional act.' In response, Kim Young-woo, former lawmaker and head of Choi’s campaign situation room, rebutted on the radio that day, "I can only laugh at the claim that this is an anti-constitutional act. Was the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman the one who violated constitutional values or the rule of law?"