[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Cheon Ha-ram, former head of the People Power Party's Suncheon district committee, classified as part of the 'Lee Jun-seok faction,' has declared his candidacy for the People Power Party leadership election, drawing attention to whether this will change the leadership race dynamics that seemed to be solidifying into a 'two-strong' competition. Political circles are already calculating the 'pros and cons.' The key issue is whether he can realistically make it into the 'cutoff four,' and whether he can surpass other mid-level politicians with broad party bases besides the two leading candidates.
Cheon Ha-ram Runs for Party Leader...Indirect Support from Lee Jun-seok
On the 2nd, Cheon, the district committee head, announced via his social media (SNS) that he would run for the People Power Party leadership election and said he would hold a press conference on the 3rd regarding this.
Although the detailed reasons behind Cheon's declaration to run for party leader, despite previously being a strong candidate for the Supreme Council member position, have not been fully disclosed, it appears to be due to the absence of a party leader candidate who can attract the 'non-Yoon (非尹)' faction's votes, following the non-candidacies of former lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Yoo Seung-min, and the 'pro-Yoon (親尹)' moves of the two leading candidates.
Cheon, known to have a close relationship with former leader Lee Jun-seok, who has consistently shown a clear non-Yoon stance, is drawing attention to how much of the previously unaligned non-Yoon votes he can attract. Currently, the People Power Party has 800,000 responsible party members, half of whom joined during Lee's leadership. These members differ in tendencies from traditional party members and may be inclined to vote for a non-Yoon candidate.
Lee Jun-seok also indirectly supported Cheon through his SNS, stating, "In elections, we should always choose the best, not the second-best or the lesser evil. That way, there will be no regrets. Keep this in mind." This is interpreted as urging voters who had shifted their non-Yoon votes to pro-Yoon Kim Ki-hyun and his competitor Ahn Cheol-soo, due to Yoo's non-candidacy, to choose Cheon, the best option, over Ahn, the second-best.
Additionally, Lee posted on SNS, "If there are people who are 'Ganjaebi' or 'Hagojebi' operators, they should be dealt with early." 'Ganjaebi' is a slang term for someone who only observes but does not take action, and is one of Ahn Cheol-soo's nicknames mentioned in internet communities. Originally, it referred to a person who professionally seasons with salt, but the phrase 'checking the salt' implies hesitating and only watching without making decisions, thus gaining a new meaning. 'Hagojebi' refers to someone who tries to do everything and seems aimed at pro-Yoon leadership candidates.
However, grammatically, 'Ganjebi' is less correct than 'Ganjebi' (간잽이). Former Saenuri Party Supreme Council member Shim Jae-cheol once said, "'Ganjaebi' or 'Ganje-bi' is incorrect; the correct term is 'Ganjebi.' The suffix '-jebi' indicates a person who handles something, commonly called 'jebi' in the market."
Will He Make the Cutoff Four...Party Sentiment Toward Lee Jun-seok
Cheon's candidacy is unlikely to break the existing two-strong competition between Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Ki-hyun. There are limitations as a young candidate, and some point out that Lee Jun-seok's influence may also have limits. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won analyzed on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "Politics is about challenges, and since he is young on a tilted playing field, his courage is highly appreciated," but he does not see Cheon as a major variable.
He added, "Although Lee supports him, the party's influence still lies with President Yoon Seok-yeol and his family," and "President Yoon has been in office for less than a year, but our party members likely feel that the president should not be put in a difficult position." This suggests that Kim Ki-hyun, who is considered to have 'Yoon's heart (尹心),' has an advantage.
However, if Cheon makes it into the top four for the final vote, the situation changes. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, a runoff is held, where Cheon could become a significant factor. But reaching that stage is not easy. Although the competition is mainly between Ahn and Kim, the battle for third and fourth place is fierce. Cheon must surpass not only incumbent senior lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun and Cho Kyung-tae but also former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn.
Cheon's candidacy may also serve as a gauge to see whether Lee Jun-seok's influence remains strong in the party, as the leadership election will reveal party members' true voting intentions. Park Soo-young, a People Power Party lawmaker classified as pro-Yoon, said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "(Cheon's candidacy) was unexpected, but I think it's good," adding, "Lee or Yoo could claim 'I am first in the general public opinion polls,' but when the actual vote comes out at 2% or 3%, they realize they were mistaken and reconsider."
Jin Joong-kwon, special professor at Kwangwoon University, also said on CBS's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One' the day before, "With Yoo's non-candidacy, he missed the chance to confirm how much support he has within the party," and "So this time, he wants to check indirectly." Lee Jun-seok is even serving as the sponsorship chairman for Kim Yong-tae, who is running for Supreme Council member, indicating that Lee wants to use this leadership election as an opportunity to confirm his influence.
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