Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The conditions for the party leader proposed by Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, are causing a ripple effect within the ruling party. He suggested that the next party leader should be someone who can gain popularity among the metropolitan area and the MZ generation. Joo said, "They must be popular with the MZ generation and ensure stable candidate selection without being swayed. The leader should also be capable of handling the metropolitan area." His argument is that only by satisfying these two conditions can the party win the upcoming general election. At the same time, there is a sense of crisis within the party as it no longer enjoys the same level of support from voters in their 20s and 30s, who currently hold the casting vote.
The ruling party's urgent need to break free from minority status: Winning the metropolitan area and youth vote is essential
For the People Power Party, which has repeatedly been hampered by the opposition in a minority ruling situation, securing a majority of seats in the 2024 general election is crucial. Among these, winning the metropolitan area is almost a prerequisite for overcoming the minority ruling phase. Of the 253 constituency seats, 121 are in the metropolitan area, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. In the previous 21st general election, the Democratic Party swept an overwhelming 103 seats (85.1%) in the metropolitan area, while the People Power Party managed to secure only 18 seats.
To become the majority party (130-140 seats), the People Power Party must gain more seats in areas like the metropolitan and Chungcheong regions (28 seats), excluding regions with clear conservative or progressive support. Securing many seats in the metropolitan area, where the number of seats is concentrated, is the only way to break free from the minority ruling situation.
Joo’s emphasis on an MZ generation representative is interpreted as an attempt to target youth and moderate voters. In fact, targeting youth in elections is not a special message or strategy. However, since former leader Lee Jun-seok, who had strong support from voters in their 20s and 30s, stepped down, the People Power Party lacks a young image or a 'face' representing the youth.
Recent polls (Korea Gallup, first week of December) show that the People Power Party enjoys strong support of over 50% among those in their 60s and 70s, but support among those in their 20s and 30s is low, ranging from the low 20% to low 30% range. However, the Democratic Party also needs to target youth and moderate voters. Although the Democratic Party’s support is slightly higher, it is difficult to say that either party holds an overwhelming advantage among voters in their 20s and 30s.
Within and outside the political sphere, former leader Lee Jun-seok is naturally being recalled. Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon said on SBS Radio’s 'Kim Taehyun’s Political Show,' "One cannot help but think, 'Why was former leader Lee ousted?'" and added, "The person who fits those conditions is exactly former leader Lee." However, many believe it is unlikely that former leader Lee, who was stripped of his position after severe conflicts with President Yoon Seok-yeol and the party leadership, will be brought back.
In political circles, the metropolitan area and MZ generation representative theory is ultimately interpreted as reflecting 'Yoon’s will'?the idea of drafting Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon as party leader. However, Joo Ho-young dismissed this, saying, "I have never expressed such opinions to the president and it has nothing to do with him," and added, "I was not referring to any specific individual but was speaking in general terms."
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