Ruling Party Officially Enters Leadership Race
Opposition Party's Competitive Landscape Begins to Take Shape
The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party have officially entered the race for party leadership ahead of their respective national conventions in August. The Democratic Party will close registration for preliminary candidates for party leader and Supreme Council members for its second extraordinary national convention on July 10. The People Power Party is also beginning to reveal the contours of its competitive landscape ahead of its national convention, which is expected to take place in mid-August.
If there are four or more candidates for the Democratic Party leadership, a preliminary primary will be held on July 15 to narrow the field to three. After regional primaries in the Chungcheong region on July 19, the Yeongnam region on July 20, the Honam region on July 26, and the Seoul metropolitan area on July 27, the party will hold both the Seoul, Gangwon, and Jeju primaries and the national convention simultaneously at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on August 2. So far, only two candidates?Park Chan-dae and Jung Chungrae?have declared their intention to run for party leader. As the candidate registration deadline approaches, both Park and Jung are focusing their efforts on the Honam region, which is considered the key battleground.
For the People Power Party, the most senior lawmaker in the party, Cho Kyungtae, and the party's Innovation Committee Chair, Ahn Cheolsoo, were the first to announce their candidacies for the national convention. Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moonsoo has also effectively indicated his intention to run.
On July 7, Ahn held a press conference at the National Assembly to officially announce his bid for party leadership. He stated, "I held several rounds of consultations with the Emergency Response Committee, but we could not reach an agreement," adding, "If that is the case, I will take up the scalpel myself, not just the forceps." By resigning as Innovation Committee Chair, Ahn expressed his determination to become the direct agent of innovation as party leader.
On the same day, Cho told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "If things continue as they are, the party will face calls for dissolution," and added, "I decided to run for party leader out of a sense of urgency that the party needs innovation on the level of dissolution." Cho presented six key reforms: a complete revision of the party constitution and regulations, the establishment of a Personnel Reform Committee, innovation in candidate nominations, party operations suited to the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) era, expansion to younger and centrist voters, and enhanced communication with the public. Outside the National Assembly, Jang Sungmin, former Director of Future Strategy Planning at the Presidential Office, has also solidified his intention to run.
Kim Moonsoo, considered a strong contender for party leadership, is reportedly busy working behind the scenes. He is expected to have a closed-door luncheon soon with local party chapter heads in Seoul. Kim's camp stated, "He will make his public moves once the national convention schedule becomes more concrete."
Han Donghoon, former People Power Party leader and another leading contender, is said to be deliberating his decision until the last minute. In addition, lawmakers Na Kyungwon and Jang Donghyuk are also being mentioned as possible candidates.
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