'Regime Judgment Firefighter' Han Dong-hoon Early Entry
Democratic Party Nomination Turmoil... "Sudden Death" Controversy
'Verbal Abuse' Do Tae-woo, Jang Ye-chan, Jeong Bong-ju Nomination Canceled
Jo Guk Innovation Party Surge... Third Zone Struggles
Early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election began on the 5th, and voters are casting their ballots at the Naegok-dong Early Voting Station set up at the Naegok-dong Open Culture Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
The day of the 22nd National Assembly election has dawned. This general election is a showdown between the 'regime judgment theory' against the Yoon Seok-yeol administration in its third year in power and the 'opposition judgment theory' against the major opposition party that held 180 seats in the 21st general election. The ruling party faced variables such as party-government conflicts and the 'Lee Jong-seop Hwang Sang-moo scandal,' while the opposition party's support fluctuated due to nomination conflicts and verbal abuse controversies. We have summarized the events that shook the general election phase.
① The Emergence of 'Firefighter' Han Dong-hoon
People Power Party's Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon is entering the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th for the inauguration ceremony. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
On December 26 last year, former Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon was appointed as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party. When the regime judgment theory came to the forefront after Jin Gyo-hoon, the then Democratic Party candidate, won the Seoul Gangseo-gu mayoral by-election in October last year with 56.52% of the vote, beating Kim Tae-woo of the People Power Party by 17.15 percentage points, Han was brought in as a 'firefighter.' Upon his inauguration, Han declared he would not run in the general election and emphasized 'cleansing the activist faction.' He said, "We must prevent the ruling party from recklessly damaging the present and future of the country."
With the 'emergence of Han Dong-hoon,' the People Power Party's approval rating caught a favorable wind. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from November 28 to 30 last year, interviewing 1,009 people aged 18 and over nationwide via wireless phone virtual number interviews, the People Power Party's support was 33%, and the Democratic Party's was 34%. However, a similar survey conducted by Gallup Korea from January 9 to 11 this year with 1,002 people aged 18 and over showed the People Power Party's support at 36% and the Democratic Party's at 34%. In the same survey, the preferred future political leaders were Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party leader, at 23%, and Han Dong-hoon at 22%, a close race. (For detailed information, refer to the Public Opinion Survey Deliberation Commission website.) Subsequently, a Han Dong-hoon vs. Lee Jae-myung dynamic was formed for a while, and Han led the People Power Party's election campaign as the 'one top.'
② Lee Jae-myung and Bae Hyun-jin... Consecutive Political Attacks
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is lying on the ground waiting to be transported to the hospital after being stabbed in the left side of his neck following his inspection of the site for the new Gaduk Airport in Gangseo-gu, Busan last January. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On January 2 this year, Lee Jae-myung was attacked with a weapon by a 67-year-old man named Kim while inspecting the site of the new airport on Gadeokdo Island, Busan. At the time, Lee was answering questions from reporters and moving to his vehicle when Kim stabbed him on the left side of his neck with an 18 cm-long weapon. Kim acted as if he were a Democratic Party supporter around Lee and demanded an autograph before committing the attack.
On January 25, Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the People Power Party, was attacked with a stone by a middle school student named A in a building in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. A was arrested at the scene, and Bae was immediately taken to the hospital.
This was a tragedy born from polarized politics and extreme political culture. However, both ruling and opposition parties continued political strife while warning against political hatred. On January 17, Lee said at a Supreme Council meeting, "This election is a mid-term evaluation of the regime and a judgment on power," adding, "They try to kill with laws and pens, and when that fails, they try to kill with knives, but they will never die." Han responded to Lee's remarks by saying, "That is delusional."
③ Democratic Party Nomination Turmoil... 'Pro-Lee' vs. 'Pro-Moon' Conflict
Im Hyuk-baek, Chairman of the Democratic Party's Public Office Election Candidate Recommendation Management Committee, is announcing the first-round primary candidates at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 6th. Previously, the committee conducted interviews over six days from the 31st of last month until the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
The Democratic Party's Nomination Management Committee (NMC) launched on January 5, promoting a 'systematic nomination.' However, from the start of the candidate screening process, criticisms arose that it favored the pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) faction. Despite having disciplinary records within the party, former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Standing Commissioner Yang Moon-seok and Kim Woo-young, Standing Representative of the Democratic Party National Innovation Council, passed the Central Party's candidate screening committee.
In February, when the Democratic Party's NMC notified candidates of the bottom 20% in incumbent evaluations, internal conflicts intensified. Four-term lawmaker and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Kim Young-joo said he felt "humiliated" and left the party to join the People Power Party. The peak of the so-called 'silent death' was the primary in Seoul Gangbuk-gu Eul. Lawmaker Park Yong-jin, classified as pro-Lee, lost consecutive primaries against former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju and lawyer Jo Su-jin. Subsequently, the Democratic Party strategically nominated pro-Lee spokesperson Han Min-soo.
Public opinion on the Democratic Party's nomination turmoil was unfavorable. According to a Gallup Korea survey conducted from February 27 to 29 with 1,001 people aged 18 and over nationwide via wireless phone virtual number interviews, the Democratic Party's support was 33%, trailing the People Power Party's 40% beyond the margin of error. (For detailed information, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.)
④ Verbal Abuse Leading to Candidate Replacement... Ruling Party's Do Tae-woo and Jang Ye-chan, Opposition's Jeong Bong-ju Nomination Canceled
Former People Power Party Youth Supreme Council member Jang Ye-chan, whose nomination for Busan Suyeong District was canceled due to a 'controversial remark' scandal, wipes tears during a press conference held at the Busan City Council in Yeonje District, Busan, on the afternoon of the 18th. Former Youth Supreme Council member Jang announced his independent candidacy. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Verbal abuse also shook this general election. Do Tae-woo, a lawyer nominated by the People Power Party in Daegu Jung and Nam districts, sparked controversy for disparaging the May 18 Democratic Uprising by stating on YouTube in 2019 that "defining May 18 as a massacre is close to a fictional myth." Jang Ye-chan, former youth supreme committee member nominated in Busan Suyeong-gu, was also embroiled in verbal abuse controversy. In 2014, he posted on his social media, "A healthy society is one where people who enjoy orgies every night and flirt with anyone regardless of gender, as long as they show professionalism and responsibility in their duties, can be respected as professionals," which drew criticism. The party canceled their nominations on the 14th and 16th of last month, respectively.
The Democratic Party was not free from verbal abuse controversies either. Former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju was criticized for mocking two South Korean soldiers who lost their legs and ankles to North Korea's landmine in 2015 by saying on his podcast in July 2017, "You know the cool thing in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)? Ankle mines. We should enter the DMZ and hold a raffle. Give a crutch to anyone who steps on an ankle mine." Jeong explained that he apologized by phone to the victims, but reports surfaced that the injured soldiers had not received an apology, leading to accusations of 'false explanation.' The Democratic Party canceled Jeong's nomination on the 14th of last month.
⑤ Party-Government Conflict Grows Amid Lee Jong-seop and Hwang Sang-moo Controversies
Lee Jong-seop, Ambassador to Australia, is attending the Major Defense Industry Cooperation Chiefs of Mission Meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 28th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The controversies sparked by the Yoon Seok-yeol presidential office shook the ruling People Power Party. Former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop was appointed ambassador to Australia on the 4th of last month, drawing criticism for effectively allowing a key suspect involved in the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae to flee abroad. Additionally, former Senior Secretary for Civil Society Hwang Sang-moo stirred controversy on the 14th of last month by mentioning the journalist machete attack incident to an MBC reporter.
As the issue spread, Han Dong-hoon urged on the 17th of last month that the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Office immediately summon former Minister Lee and that he should return to the country. He also pressured the presidential office to have former Senior Secretary Hwang "make a decision on his position." Eventually, President Yoon accepted Hwang's resignation on the 20th of last month and approved Lee's dismissal on the 29th of the same month.
Afterward, the election phase was reshaped into Yoon Seok-yeol vs. Lee Jae-myung, and the 'regime judgment theory' spread again.
⑥ Weakened Third Zone... Jo Guk Innovation Party Advocates 'Regime Judgment'
Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is holding a press conference in front of Gimpo Art Hall in Gyeonggi on the 8th and answering questions from the press. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
The unexpected figure who captured the progressive camp's votes shaken by nomination turmoil was former Minister of Justice Cho Guk. In March, Cho founded the Jo Guk Innovation Party and became its leader. The party clearly adopted an 'anti-Yoon' stance and emphasized regime judgment. On the 12th of last month, Cho announced his candidacy as a proportional representation candidate, saying, "I am running to bring an early end to the Yoon administration." The Jo Guk Innovation Party's slogan was 'Jiminbijo,' appealing for voters to vote for the Democratic Party in constituencies and for the Jo Guk Innovation Party in proportional representation.
Lee Nak-yeon, Representative of the New Future, and Lee Jun-seok, Representative of the Reform New Party [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the other hand, the third zone lost its momentum. The Reform New Party and New Future Party failed to increase their support after their merger talks collapsed. The two parties agreed to merge on February 9 but split after 11 days. Disappointed supporters turned away, rapidly weakening the 'third zone' momentum.
The Green Justice Party is struggling, with even its flagship candidate Shim Sang-jung in Goyang-si Gap, Gyeonggi Province, facing difficulties. Kim Jun-woo, the Green Justice Party's Standing Election Countermeasures Committee Chairman, pleaded at a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office the day before, saying, "Please protect the Green Justice Party, which can most justly carry out regime judgment," and "Please give us another chance so that the journey of independent progressive politics does not stop here."
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