Kim Yongtae, 35, Appointed as New Emergency Committee Chair
Moving Toward Unity After Unprecedented Candidate Replacement
Persistent Divisions Remain... Friction with Pro-Han Faction
Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, has embarked on a path of unity and innovation aimed at winning the presidential election, following the unprecedented crisis of a "late-night forced unification." During a parliamentary meeting, Kim apologized for the failure to unify the candidacies and made a deep bow. In a bold move, he nominated the youngest party member, Kim Yongtae, as the new emergency committee chair. While the intention is to heal internal and external conflicts within the party and recover lagging support, some analysts believe it will be difficult to quickly overcome the aftermath of the internal strife.
On the first day of official campaigning for the 21st presidential election on the 12th, Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, visited Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where he talked with merchants while eating sundae gukbap. Photo by Yonhap News
On the morning of the 12th, after holding his first campaign event at Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Kim spoke to reporters, saying, "There is a saying that the ground becomes firmer after rain," and added, "Our fighting is not for the sake of fighting, but because it serves as a foundation for greater progress." Kim also stated, "All outstanding talents and forces will come together and unite."
Last weekend, the People Power Party attempted to remove Kim, who had been elected at the party convention, and nominate former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, an independent, as the new candidate. However, this effort failed due to opposition from party members. The party leadership stripped Kim of his candidacy at midnight on the 10th and reopened candidate registration between 3 and 4 a.m., immediately confirming Han as the candidate in a move reminiscent of a military operation. At 11 p.m. the same day, Kim was reinstated as candidate through a party member vote, but the incident caused an extreme split within the conservative camp.
Kim's repeated emphasis on harmony and unity is interpreted as an attempt to quickly resolve the unprecedented party division. An assembly member representing Daegu said in a phone interview, "As the presidential candidate, Kim has full authority and has newly appointed the secretary general and the emergency committee chair. There is no internal conflict within the party," and added, "At yesterday's parliamentary meeting, everyone was determined to do their best."
Following the fallout from the "forced unification" incident, Kim appointed Representative Kim, born in 1990, as the new emergency committee chair the previous day, replacing former chair Kwon Youngse, who stepped down. Representative Kim is also expected to serve as co-chair of the election campaign committee. The decision to put a first-term lawmaker in his 30s at the forefront ahead of the presidential election appears to be intended to emphasize a reformist image. An assembly member representing North Gyeongsang Province explained, "Since Kim is older, appointing a younger lawmaker is a positive move."
However, given the deep wounds caused by the failed unification, efforts toward unity are not expected to be easy. Immediately, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo called for Kwon Seongdong, Park Sooyoung, and Sung Iljong to resign from the National Assembly, holding them responsible for the confusion in the presidential primary. Former Prime Minister Han is also reportedly set to decline the offer to join as co-chair of the campaign committee. In addition, former People Power Party leader Han Donghoon has demanded that Kim sever all ties with former President Yoon Sukyeol and his wife, indicating that internal party conflict remains unresolved.
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