[Politics That Day] Hong Joon-pyo Elected, Ending the Era of President-Party Chairman Dual Role

November 2001 DJ, from Ruling Party Leader to Rank-and-File Member
‘President = Ruling Party Leader’, The Last of Kim Dae-jung Administration
Hong Joon-pyo’s Dongdaemun Era... Responsibility Debate Over Democratic Party’s Election Defeat

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to scenes, events, and figures that deserve attention.

There was a time in Korean politics when it was taken for granted that the president would serve as the leader of the ruling party. This was the era of so-called party-government unity. The logic was that the president exercising practical influence over the ruling party would help stabilize state governance.

However, intertwined with the massive changes in political currents, the equation ‘President = Ruling Party Leader’ disappeared into history.

An interesting point is that one of the figures who ended the era of presidents serving as party leaders was politician Hong Jun-pyo. Regardless of Hong Jun-pyo’s personal intentions, the political aftershocks amplified by his election as a member of the National Assembly led to this outcome.

Until the 1980s and 1990s, the president ‘naturally’ held the position of ruling party leader concurrently. The term “Yeongsu Meeting,” still used in Yeouido’s political circles, symbolizes the meeting between the president as the ruling party leader and the leader of the main opposition party.

National Assembly Building stock photo / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The purpose of the Yeongsu Meeting is for the figures who practically represent the ruling and opposition parties to meet and negotiate political issues. During President Kim Young-sam’s and President Kim Dae-jung’s administrations, the president also served as the ruling party leader.

The turning point when this long-standing practice in Korean politics changed was November 8, 2001. At that time, President Kim Dae-jung made a political gamble by resigning from the party leader position to resolve internal strife within the Democratic Party. Although he cited the reason of focusing on the economy and inter-Korean relations, the president’s resignation from the ruling party leadership was a politically significant choice.

"I sincerely apologize to the people for causing great concern due to the defeat in the three district by-elections on October 25 and the subsequent unstable situation within the party. After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from the party leader position."

The content revealed by President Kim Dae-jung in a personal letter explains the reason for his resignation from the ruling party leadership.

In the October 25, 2001 by-elections, the then ruling Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat. Afterwards, the Democratic Party was plagued by intense calls for accountability. The whirlpool of power struggles extended beyond the Democratic Party to the Blue House, spreading into calls for responsibility directed at President Kim Dae-jung’s close aides.

When President Kim Dae-jung abruptly announced his resignation from the party leader position, the Democratic Party leadership proposed that he retract his resignation. However, the Blue House did not accept the proposal to withdraw, and thus the era of presidents serving as party leaders came to an end.

People Power Party presidential primary candidate Hong Joon-pyo visited the Gyeonggi-do Party Committee of the People Power Party in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, on the morning of November 4, 2021, held a meeting, and gave a greeting. [Image source=Yonhap News]

So, what happened in the October 25 by-elections? The by-elections were held about a year before the December 2002 presidential election. New members of the National Assembly were elected in three districts: Dongdaemun-eul and Guro-eul in Seoul, and Gangneung in Gangwon Province.

From the Democratic Party’s perspective, while Gangneung was difficult, victories in Dongdaemun-eul and Guro-eul were desperately needed. At that time, Seoul was considered a political stronghold of the Democratic Party. Losing even in Seoul meant being subjected to political responsibility for a crushing defeat. The results were exactly as the Democratic Party feared.

In Dongdaemun-eul, Hanara Party candidate Hong Jun-pyo defeated Democratic Party candidate Heo In-hoe and was elected. In Guro-eul, Hanara Party candidate Lee Seung-chul defeated Democratic Party candidate Kim Han-gil and was elected. In Gangneung, Hanara Party candidate Choi Don-woong was also elected.

Especially, Hong Jun-pyo soared as a politician through the October 25 by-elections. His original constituency was Songpa-gu Gap. In the 15th general election in 1996, he ran as a New Korea Party candidate in Songpa-gu Gap and was elected as a member of the National Assembly.

Politician Hong Jun-pyo moved his constituency to Dongdaemun-eul in the October 25 by-elections of 2011 and ran for office. He was elected with a flourish. Currently, Hong Jun-pyo is the mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City. He has experience winning various public office elections, including serving twice as governor of Gyeongnam Province.

He served five terms as a member of the National Assembly, three of which were in Dongdaemun-eul. The October 25 by-election of 2001 opened the Dongdaemun era for politician Hong Jun-pyo. He lived as a Dongdaemun National Assembly member for more than ten years starting in 2001.

On the 13th, election posters of the People Power Party's 3rd party representative candidates and supreme council member candidates were posted in the corridor of the National Assembly main building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The October 25 by-election that opened Hong Jun-pyo’s Dongdaemun era is a painful memory for the Democratic Party. President Kim Dae-jung’s resignation from the ruling party leadership had positive aspects in terms of intra-party democracy, but politically it also meant the disappearance of a huge umbrella.

It was also a message not to rely on the so-called Kim Sim (金心) but to prepare for the presidential election according to each person’s capabilities. President Kim Dae-jung’s resignation from the ruling party leadership in 2001 was a turning point in political history. Since then, party-government separation has been accepted as natural, and more than 20 years have passed.

Ahead of the People Power Party’s party convention, debates over party-government separation and party-government unity are heating up. As controversy over presidential intervention in party affairs arises, some in the ruling camp are suggesting that it is time to reconsider party-government separation itself.

There is an opinion that returning to the era of party-government unity would be advantageous for the president to engage in politics with a responsible attitude. There is even a proposal within some ruling party circles to appoint President Yoon Seok-youl as the honorary party leader of the People Power Party. Could the era of party-government unity be revived after 20 years? This is a key point to watch in the political landscape of the first half of 2023.