People Power Party Leadership Race Set as Five-Way Contest; Four Supreme Council Candidates Disqualified

Kim Moonsoo, Ahn Cheolsoo, Jang Donghyuk, Cho Kyungtae, and Joo Jinwoo Advance
Supreme Council Candidates Kang Sunghyun, Kim Soyeon, Ryu Yeohae, and Hwang Sihyuk Disqualified

All five candidates?Kim Moonsoo, Ahn Cheolsoo, Jang Donghyuk, Cho Kyungtae, and Joo Jinwoo?who are running for the leadership of the People Power Party have advanced to the preliminary round. In the Supreme Council member election, four out of fifteen declared candidates were disqualified during the eligibility screening.

The People Power Party announced on the 31st that a total of five candidates registered for the party representative election closing on August 22: former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moonsoo, Assemblyman Ahn Cheolsoo, Assemblyman Jang Donghyuk, Assemblyman Cho Kyungtae, and Assemblyman Joo Jinwoo (from left, in alphabetical order). Yonhap News

On August 1, the Election Management Committee for the People Power Party’s National Convention announced that it had finalized the list of candidates advancing to the preliminary round for the August 22 convention: five candidates for party leader, eleven for Supreme Council member, and four for Youth Supreme Council member, totaling twenty preliminary candidates.

The candidates advancing to the preliminary round for party leader are former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moonsoo, and People Power Party lawmakers Ahn Cheolsoo, Jang Donghyuk, Cho Kyungtae, and Joo Jinwoo.

A total of fifteen people applied for the Supreme Council member position, but only eleven?Kim Geunsik, Kim Minsu, Kim Jaewon, Kim Taewoo, Son Beomgyu, Shin Dongwook, Yang Hyangja, Jang Youngha, Choi Sujin, Ham Unkyung, and Hong Seokjun?advanced to the preliminary round.

Kang Sunghyun, Kim Soyeon, Ryu Yeohae, and Hwang Sihyuk were disqualified during the eligibility screening by the Election Management Committee. Committee spokesperson Ham Inkyung explained that the disqualification was based on the party’s constitution, bylaws, and eligibility criteria.

For the Youth Supreme Council member position, since the number of candidates did not exceed four, all four?Park Hongjun, Son Sujo, Woo Jaejun, and Choi Woosung?advanced directly to the main round without a preliminary.

The People Power Party will narrow down the candidates to four for party leader and eight for Supreme Council member through the preliminary round, which will reflect the results of a responsible party member vote and a public opinion poll, each accounting for 50%, on August 5 and 6.