South Korea’s conservative party, the People Power Party, was in total chaos on Saturday as they first cancelled and then reinstated the presidential candidacy of Kim Moon-soo in a matter of hours. This wild turn of events came as internal turmoil within the party escalated just weeks before the June 3 election. The failed attempt to replace Kim with former prime minister Han Duck-soo only added fuel to the fire of the party’s leadership crisis, which began with the ousting of former president Yoon Suk-yeol in December over his controversial imposition of martial law. This move was seen as a major blow to the conservatives’ chances of securing another term in government.
Kim, a staunch conservative and former labour minister under Yoon, had won 56.3 per cent of the primary vote on May 3, making him the PPP’s presidential candidate. This victory came after he defeated a reformist rival who had openly criticized Yoon’s decision to impose martial law. However, despite Kim’s win, the PPP leadership, which was largely made up of Yoon loyalists, spent the following week pressuring Kim to step aside in favor of Han. They believed that Han would have a better shot at defeating the liberal Democratic Party front runner, Lee Jae-myung.
After unsuccessful talks between Han and Kim to merge their candidacies, the PPP’s emergency committee made the unprecedented decision to nullify the primary, revoke Kim’s nomination, and declare Han as both a party member and the new presidential candidate. The replacement process required an all-party vote conducted through an automated phone survey, which ultimately rejected the switch on Saturday night.
Not really sure why this matters, but the drama surrounding Kim Moon-soo’s candidacy has left the People Power Party in disarray just weeks before the crucial election. The party’s inability to unite behind a single candidate may have severe consequences for their chances of winning another term in office. Only time will tell how this internal turmoil will impact the outcome of the election on June 3.
