Four Preliminary Candidates Intensify Competition on Policy Clarity and Key Issues
If Han Duck-soo's Candidacy Becomes Official, "Big Tent" Turmoil Expected
The stance on former President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment responsibility is expected to reemerge as a key variable that will determine the outcome of the People Power Party's second primary. On April 22, Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor; Ahn Cheol-soo, lawmaker; Han Dong-hoon, former party leader; and Hong Joon-pyo, former mayor of Daegu (listed in Korean alphabetical order), passed the first cut-off, resulting in a lineup of two pro-impeachment candidates (Kim and Hong) and two anti-impeachment candidates (Han and Ahn). In addition, unlike the first primary vote, which was conducted entirely through a public opinion poll, the second primary will be determined by a 50% public opinion poll and a 50% party member survey, making fierce debate among the candidates to secure party member support inevitable.
The four preliminary candidates immediately began to highlight their distinct positions following the first primary. Han Dong-hoon, in particular, focused on garnering support from the public and from party members who favor Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. Shortly after passing the first round, he posted on Facebook, asking for support as "someone who is free from any martial law attacks by Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party, and who can proudly speak of 'generational change' in the face of the 'role reversal' between martial law and serial impeachments."
If Na Kyung-won, who had also voiced opposition to impeachment alongside Kim Moon-soo and Hong Joon-pyo, had advanced to the second round, the pro-impeachment camp could have consolidated all their votes in a 3-to-1 structure. However, with Ahn Cheol-soo, who voted in favor of Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment motion, advancing, there are concerns that the votes may split. Ahn Cheol-soo, who has previously targeted Han Dong-hoon, a former prosecutor and anti-impeachment candidate, also shared his thoughts on Facebook, saying, "I believe the reason the public put me in the top four is their hope and expectation that I must win the upcoming presidential election."
Kim Moon-soo, an anti-impeachment candidate, offered words of comfort to those who did not advance, stating, "We are People Power Party candidates who share a common sense of mission to defend the values of a free Republic of Korea and a market economy. Now is the time for all of us to unite and pool our strength to protect the constitutional order of Korea. Our path will not stop." During the impeachment trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Kim emerged as a leading presidential contender in the broadly conservative camp that opposed impeachment. On April 19, he also argued that Yoon's declaration of martial law was due to the Democratic Party's wrongdoing.
In contrast, Hong Joon-pyo emphasized policy clarity. On Facebook, he declared, "I will lay the foundation for the 7th Republic and open an era of an advanced nation," adding, "I will work hard in the final four, win the final with 51%, and immediately prepare for the main election." Although Hong had previously expressed opposition to Yoon Suk-yeol's removal from office during the impeachment phase, he has recently distanced himself from Yoon. Appearing on Korea Ilbo's YouTube channel on the same day, Hong described the impeachment as "a political suicide that should never have happened," and stated, "Yoon Suk-yeol is already a finished figure." This is interpreted as an attempt to win over moderate conservatives who either support Yoon's impeachment or prefer policy-based voting in order to secure victory in the primary.
The possibility of Han Duck-soo, the acting president and prime minister, running for president is also expected to become a key variable. If Han officially announces his candidacy, it is almost certain that fierce debate among the candidates over whether to unify candidacies will ensue.
Earlier, Park Sung-seop, co-chairman of the "Han Duck-soo for President National Candidate Recommendation Committee," held a press conference at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "There is a lot of evidence that Han will run," and "I am confident that some action will take place around May 4." In Kim Moon-soo's case, lawmakers such as Park Soo-young, who advocated for Han Duck-soo's recruitment, are participating, and he has a positive stance on the "big tent" approach.
In contrast, Hong Joon-pyo is negative about unifying candidacies with Han Duck-soo. His logic is that if the prime minister of an impeached administration runs for president, it becomes an "impeachment election." On MBN News, Hong said, "How can someone who is supposed to manage a neutral election resign and run?" and "What I said yesterday to Han about joining the party was just a joke, continuing a discussion that doesn't make sense."
Han Dong-hoon also commented on TV Chosun News, "From a conservative standpoint, the very fact that we can have a fierce primary is a great blessing," and pointed out, "If someone who can enter the primary says, 'Let's unify later,' it will make a mockery of the primary itself and erase its strengths." Ahn Cheol-soo expressed a negative view of Han Duck-soo's candidacy on CBS Radio, saying, "Han has more important duties, such as trade issues, than running for president."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
