Cold Public Sentiment Confirmed by the Ruling Party... Non-mainstream Faction Launches Counterattack in "Desperate Situation"

Gangseo District Mayor By-election Double-Digit Gap
Rising 'Capital Region Crisis Theory' Within Party
Flood of Calls for Ruling Party Leadership Responsibility

The People Power Party has been engulfed in the aftermath of a crushing defeat in the ‘October 11 Seoul Gangseo District Mayor By-election.’ Kim Tae-woo, a candidate who ran after receiving a special pardon from President Yoon Suk-yeol, lost by a large margin in this election, confirming the cold public sentiment in the metropolitan area just six months before next year’s general election. Although the party leadership has shifted to an early general election system and begun preparing ‘drastic measures’ to secure victory in the general election, there are calls for leadership change and accountability for President Yoon, mainly from the party’s non-mainstream factions preparing for the metropolitan area elections.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th, "We will coldly analyze the causes of this election defeat and devise drastic measures to win the general election," adding, "Especially, we will prepare tailored alternatives to gain more public support in regions where our party is relatively weak, such as the metropolitan area." This is interpreted as a swift attempt to contain the rapidly rising crisis theory within the party regarding the metropolitan area after Kim Tae-woo, the People Power Party candidate, lost by more than 17 percentage points in the election held the previous day.

According to the National Election Commission, in the Gangseo District Mayor by-election held the previous day, Jin Gyo-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea won with 137,066 votes, accounting for 56.52% of the vote, defeating Kim Tae-woo of the People Power Party, who received 95,492 votes (39.37%), by a margin of 17.15 percentage points. Since Gangseo District is a stronghold of the opposition party, defeat was expected, but the party leadership is in a state of shock due to the unexpectedly large margin of defeat.

Floor leader Yoon Jae-ok also said at the meeting, "I believe that accepting the public’s whip without distortion is the foundation to overcome defeat and move forward again," and pledged, "Although this election is just one among the nationwide basic local governments, we will consider it as the sentiment of the entire nation and deeply reflect on its meaning."

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, inside and outside the party, there is turmoil to the extent that demands for the entire leadership’s resignation and the establishment of an emergency response committee are being raised. There are criticisms that the early launch of the general election planning team and party audits proposed earlier by the leadership are insufficient for reform. A People Power Party district committee chairman in the metropolitan area said, "Most of the district committee chairpersons are in a nearly desperate situation," adding, "There are even open talks about an emergency response committee." He raised his voice, saying, "I do not fail to understand Leader Kim’s anguish, but it seems he is thinking too complacently. Simply accepting it with a humble attitude is tantamount to having no measures."

A lawmaker with a metropolitan area constituency also pointed out, "When the metropolitan area crisis theory kept emerging, nothing was done, and now they say they will act, but we should also hold them accountable for why nothing was done before," adding, "Unless that changes, the party will not change. It may be a problem with some of the leadership."

Cheon Ha-ram, district committee chairman of Suncheon Gap for the People Power Party, said in a CBS radio interview that "Normally, the leadership should resign," and predicted, "If this atmosphere continues, good talents will not come to the metropolitan area elections. If we lose by this margin in Gangseo, are there even one or two places in Gyeonggi Province where we can win? Even Yongsan, where the presidential office is located, will lose."

Responsibility was also raised for President Yoon, who effectively nominated candidate Kim, who caused the defeat in this election. Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min appeared on KBS radio that day and said, "This is President Yoon Suk-yeol’s defeat," and Gu Sang-chan, co-chairman of Kim’s election campaign committee and district committee chairman of Gangseo Gap, analyzed on MBC radio, "The biggest reason voters did not choose him is that the person who caused the by-election by receiving a pardon and reinstatement came out again."

Within the party, there are also voices expressing concern that internal strife could escalate ahead of the election. A senior metropolitan area lawmaker said, "Through this election, we can read the flow of public sentiment reflected in the election, such as the centrist vote," adding, "It is necessary to catch that and lead the wave of change and innovation proactively. Changing the leadership seems to be going too far."