PPP primary race narrows down to Kim Moon-soo, Han Dong-hoon. Now things get interesting.

Home > National > 2025 Presidential Election

PPP primary race narrows down to Kim Moon-soo, Han Dong-hoon. Now things get interesting.

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 19:16 Updated: 29 Apr. 2025, 19:32

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

People Power Party candidates Kim Moon-soo, left, and Han Dong-hoon, right, pose for a photo at the party headquarters in Yeouido after the announcement of the final round of candidates on April 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) presidential primary has been narrowed down to a final showdown between candidates Kim Moon-soo and Han Dong-hoon.

The PPP’s presidential election committee, chaired by PPP Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, said Tuesday that Kim and Han advanced to the final round following the second primary vote.

The results were based on a combination of a public opinion poll — conducted from Sunday to Monday among 6,000 respondents from both PPP supporters and swing voters by five polling agencies — and a mobile and automated response system (ARS) vote by party members, each accounting for 50 percent of the final score.

The committee did not disclose the vote percentages or rankings. Candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Hong Joon-pyo were eliminated.

“I will defeat Lee Jae-myung, protect liberal democracy and achieve national unity,” Kim said in a statement.

“I don’t see Kim as a competitor, but as a partner,” said Han. “Together, we will become one team and defeat Lee Jae-myung.”

The head-to-head race between Kim, who opposed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Han, who supported it, has crystallized the primary into a clear-cut battle between pro- and anti-impeachment camps.

People Power Party presidential primary candidates, from left, Kim Moon-soo, Han Dong-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo hold placards reading “Victory for the People’s Candidate” during a Media Day event following the second-round primary debate at the party’s headquarters in western Seoul on April 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The PPP’s final presidential nominee will be decided through another round of opinion polling and party member voting from Thursday to Friday, followed by a national convention on Saturday.

Initially, political observers expected a neck-and-neck race among Kim, Han and Hong. Kim’s advance is widely attributed to strategic support from voters and party members hoping for a late-stage consolidation with acting President Han Duck-soo.

Though Kim’s approval ratings had stagnated in some polls and he made little impact during televised debates, speculation about Han Duck-soo’s possible entry into the race brought renewed attention to Kim as a likely partner in a last-minute unification effort.

“Several lawmakers favorable to the idea of a Han Duck-soo-Kim Moon-soo merger quickly threw their support behind Kim recently,” said a senior PPP lawmaker. “We could sense that anti-impeachment voters and various party networks were shifting their support away from Hong and toward Kim.”

Conservative People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, introduces his wife, Seol Nan-young, to the press in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 17. [YONHAP]

Some also believe that former candidate Na Kyung-won’s conservative base moved toward Kim rather than Hong after her failure to make the final four.

Han Dong-hoon’s success in making the runoff is attributed to his clear positioning as the pro-impeachment candidate and his strategy of distancing himself from potential alliances with Han Duck-soo, instead promoting himself as the most capable figure to defeat Lee.

“When Ahn advanced instead of Na, there were concerns the pro-impeachment vote would split, disadvantaging Han Dong-hoon,” said a PPP lawmaker from Seoul. “But in the end, it appears that the vote consolidated around him.”

Some observers believe Han also performed better than expected among party members, boosted by his devoted fan base known as “With Hooni.” Han Dong-hoon supporters gather at a Naver cafe named "Hoony World."

Former conservative People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, props up his glasses while announcing his bid for the presidential race in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 10. [YONHAP]

A PPP official said the turnout for the party vote was 50.93 percent, or roughly 390,000 members.

“Even when Han Dong-hoon was forced to step down as party leader during the martial law crisis, many of his fans reportedly kept their party memberships for strategic reasons,” said a PPP insider.

Now, three major variables are expected to sway the runoff's outcome.

First is the shift in support from eliminated candidates and overall party member turnout. Following Hong’s elimination, Kim said he would “respect and carry on Hong’s dreams and passion,” while Han Dong-hoon added, “Had I met him a few years earlier, I might have become part of the Hong camp,” in an effort to win over his supporters.

Han Dong-hoon talks in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the presidential candidate's campaign office in the Daeha Building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 27. [KIM KYUNG-ROK]

Party insiders generally believe Hong’s votes are more likely to go to Kim, and Ahn’s to Han Dong-hoon. As Hong had a larger support base than Ahn, Kim is expected to benefit more from vote transfers.

The second variable is how the turnout could fluctuate significantly in the runoff, making predictions uncertain. While the first round saw a 51 percent turnout among party members, PPP leadership expects that to rise to 60 or 70 percent for the final vote.

“There’s a growing sentiment among conservatives that an anti-impeachment stance alone isn’t enough to beat Lee,” said a PPP lawmaker from the Gyeongsang region. “If that mindset spreads and boosts turnout, the race could shift dramatically.”

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo walks into the Cabinet meeting room at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul on April 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

While internal variables like voter migration and turnout matter, an external factor could also shake up the primary, particularly the possibility of a “big tent” anti-Lee coalition, which is the third variable.

If acting President Han Duck-soo announces his candidacy during the Thursday to Friday voting window — or even resigns from his current role — it could send shockwaves through the race. This could pit Kim, who has long called for unifying with Han Duck-soo, against Han Dong-hoon, who insists any discussions about alliances should wait until after the primary.

The possibility of a broader conservative coalition — including Kim, Han Dong-hoon, and outside figures like splinter conservative Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok or former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who has hinted at a presidential bid — could further complicate the runoff dynamics.

The one-on-one debate between the two PPP candidates on Wednesday is also expected to sway the final sentiments of the party's base.

"As it is their last chance to demonstrate their competitiveness, a fierce battle is expected during the debate on April 30," a PPP official said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SON KOOK-HEE, JANG SEO-YUN [[email protected]]