[Reporter’s Notebook] Ruling Party Convention Devolves into a 'Dislike Contest'

People Power Party Leadership Race Intensifies
Signs of 'Jinbak' Controversy Reemerging from 2016
100% Party Member Voting Rule Fuels Factional Strife

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The People Power Party's leadership election has deteriorated into a 'dislike contest,' causing public disapproval. The main candidates and their surrounding support groups are divided into 'Pro-Yoon' and 'Anti-Yoon' factions, fiercely slandering each other. There are lamentations that the 'Jinbak' controversy, which was one of the causes of the 2016 general election defeat, is reemerging. At that time, President Park Geun-hye indicated that there was a 'candidate she truly supported,' and Jo Won-jin, the leader of the Our Republican Party and a key figure in the pro-Park faction, acted as a so-called 'Jinbak identifier,' traveling nationwide, which intensified internal conflicts and ultimately led to failure in securing a majority of seats.

The People Power Party's March 8 leadership convention overheated even before candidate registration. The main reason was the rule change from selecting the party leader through 70% party member votes and 30% general public opinion polls to 100% party member votes. Since the competition involves dividing votes among party members who are already determined, it inevitably turns into a factional fight. As the competition is based solely on party members' support, even far-right conservative YouTubers have formed election camps and officially declared their candidacy for the convention.

The convention, which excluded public sentiment, has alienated actual public opinion. The approval ratings for President Yoon Seok-yeol and the People Power Party, which had been steadily rising, have recently declined together. According to a Gallup Korea survey conducted from the 10th to 12th of this month on 1,002 adults nationwide (margin of error ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level; detailed information available on the National Election Commission website), positive evaluations of President Yoon dropped by 2 percentage points to 35% compared to the first week of January. Party support for the People Power Party also fell by 2 percentage points to 33%. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea rose by 1 percentage point to 34%, overtaking the People Power Party after a month. This result came just a week after the intensification of the so-called 'Yoon-sim (尹心)' controversy, referring to President Yoon's intentions.

These results are the responsibility of the party leadership that changed the convention rules to '100% party member voting.' The convention, which continues only internal mudslinging, could ultimately face judgment in next year's general election. If the minority government situation is not overcome, it is clear that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's governance will become even more difficult than it is now.