Buffered People Power Party primary bus... Candidates moving toward 'protection' direction

People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok (second from the right) and presidential pre-candidate Yoon Seok-yeol (second from the left) are performing a gesture symbolizing the complete recharge of presidential candidates on the morning of the 2nd at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] There is about one month left until the People Power Party's primary bus carrying 14 presidential candidates reaches its final stop. The party leadership has begun to guard against the power struggles among the candidates that will continue during this period. In particular, the primary bus is expected to move in a way that 'defends' against negative campaigns targeting the leading candidate in the polls, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, as well as other presidential candidates.

On the 3rd, Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the People Power Party, said on KBS Radio's "Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs," "There will be disputes among candidates within the party, and if excessive negative campaigns occur during that process, it is necessary to filter whether they correspond to actual facts." He added, "We plan to operate a preliminary verification team from a defensive standpoint to respond when unnecessary internal wounds are inflicted among us or when the opponent makes completely groundless negative attacks." Former lawmaker Kim Jin-tae is being mentioned as the head of the verification team.

As of this day, the People Power Party's presidential candidates have been confirmed as 14 individuals: Kim Tae-ho, Park Jin, Shim Dong-bo, Ahn Sang-soo, Won Hee-ryong, Yoo Seung-min, Yoon Seok-yeol, Yoon Hee-sook, Jang Ki-pyo, Jang Sung-min, Choi Jae-hyung, Ha Tae-kyung, Hong Joon-pyo, and Hwang Kyo-ahn (titles omitted). Once candidate registration, scheduled for the 30th to 31st, is completed, the full-scale presidential primary race will begin.

From the People Power Party's perspective, they are in a situation where they must protect the 'number one candidate' who will face concentrated attacks over the remaining month, so it is expected that they will move to protect former Prosecutor General Yoon. Since there are many presidential candidates, even a slight misstep in supporting one candidate could disrupt the entire race, and even after the official party candidate is selected, it could lead to a situation where chemical bonding is difficult. Eom Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, analyzed, "Except for former Prosecutor General Yoon, the upper-tier candidates will face fierce negative campaigns. The mid-to-lower tier candidates will consider some form of alliance, but to be within striking distance of first place, they will target the upper-tier candidates."

However, disciplinary measures or their severity regarding excessive negativity have not yet been decided. When asked about disciplinary actions by the preliminary verification team during a meeting with reporters after the floor leaders' meeting, Kim said, "It is not something to be interpreted excessively to that extent," drawing a line.

The remaining issue concerns Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, and former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon, who are classified as the last riders boarding the bus. Former Deputy Prime Minister Kim has hinted at establishing a third zone, and Ahn is hesitating to merge, increasing the likelihood that they will maintain the third zone. In response, Floor Leader Kim warned Ahn, saying, "It is appropriate to participate in opposition unification as soon as possible. If you say you will do something in November, that will be judged as another major misjudgment."