Rift over ties to Yoon shapes People Power Party leadership race
According to the party, former Labor Minister and presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo along with Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, Jang Dong-hyeok and Cho Kyoung-tae have advanced to the final vote scheduled for Aug. 22. First-term Rep. Joo Jin-woo was eliminated.
The party has remained fractured between those advocating for Yoon's return to the party and those who view his lingering influence as a liability, following Yoon's ouster over his controversial Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration.
Kim and Jang, who opposed Yoon's impeachment earlier this year, are rallying support from Yoon loyalists and emphasizing the need for conservative unity. In contrast, Ahn and Cho, who backed the impeachment, are advocating internal reform and seeking to distance the party from far-right figures associated with the former president.
Even before the primary results were announced, the candidates were already engaging in activities reinforcing their stances on Yoon.
Kim appeared on a conservative YouTube channel co-hosted by Jeon Han-gil, a celebrity history lecturer-turned-prominent right-wing commentator.
"I don't support (the Dec. 3) martial law imposition," Kim said, "but no one was killed or injured because of it." He added, "If Yoon returns to the party, we must accept him."
Jang, speaking on YTN Radio on Thursday morning, voiced frustration with what he described as the party's tendency to sever ties with anyone aligned with Yoon in response to criticism.
"When someone within the party is criticized, the party immediately talks about cutting them off," he said. "But without welcoming support from such figures like Yoon, we cannot grow stronger."
Candidates from the opposing camp responded sharply.
Ahn, a four-term lawmaker, accused Kim of reversing course on several public pledges. "What happened to the apologies Kim and I made to the public during the presidential campaign?" he wrote on Facebook.
Ahn went on to liken Kim to Pinocchio, citing a pattern of broken promises — including Kim's earlier vow to unify with Han Duck-soo ahead of the June 3 presidential election, his pledge not to seek the party chair position and his previous expression of regret over the martial law, which Ahn said Kim has now walked back.
Six-time lawmaker Cho also denounced Kim's remarks, saying, "He claims no one was hurt, so there's no crime? That logic is absurd. Kim should step down and leave politics."
Ahn and Cho have framed the leadership race as a test of whether the party can rebuild credibility by cutting ties with conspiracy theorists over national elections and hard-line loyalists associated with Yoon.
The preliminary round was conducted with a 50:50 weighting between votes from party members who had paid dues in the past three months and results from a nationwide public opinion poll. The party declined to disclose the vote tallies, citing concerns that early figures could affect the outcome of the main race.
The final vote, to be held Aug. 20-21, will be determined with an 80 percent weighting from party members and 20 percent from public polling. If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff between the top two contenders will take place Aug. 24-25.
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