Kim Moon-soo faces a defining political choice
Published: 07 May. 2025, 00:04
Ko Jung-ae
The author is the editor-in-chief at the JoongAng Sunday.
Few examples highlight the role of chance in politics as clearly as Kim Moon-soo’s unexpected rise as the People Power Party’s (PPP) presidential candidate. Just a few months ago, even Kim likely did not envision himself as a contender for the presidency.
Things were different in 2010. Many recall that Kim secured re-election as Gyeonggi governor that year, but the political terrain was far from easy. The Democratic Party (DP) had regained momentum in the wake of mass protests over U.S. beef imports and the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun. The liberal bloc rallied behind Yoo Si-min, forming a unified candidacy with the Democratic Labor Party. Even Sim Sang-jung of the New Progressive Party stepped aside. One commentator called Yoo “the most complete liberal unification candidate in Korean electoral history.”
![Independent presidential candidate Han Duck-soo, right, and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, are seen at an event celebrating Buddha's birthday at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/07/beca0078-97e4-421a-8bb9-6e9873a61a3e.jpg)
Independent presidential candidate Han Duck-soo, right, and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, are seen at an event celebrating Buddha's birthday at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Despite forecasts of a close race, Kim defeated Yoo with relative ease, winning 52.2 percent of the vote. That night, Oh Se-hoon, who narrowly beat his rival in the Seoul mayoral race by just 0.6 percentage points, waited more than 14 hours for results. Kim’s margin was far more comfortable.
At the time, a senior Blue House official said, “Kim Moon-soo represents a model of principled on-the-ground politics that the ruling party should learn from. He broke through the party’s longstanding complacency.” The compliment reflected Kim’s hands-on approach to public life. Kim even worked as a taxi driver to better understand everyday concerns. When asked in 2010, he said he had driven 2,428 kilometers (1,509 miles) across 19 sessions in 20 months. “Holding the wheel makes you feel everything — from traffic lights to guardrails, crosswalks and speed bumps. You also get to talk deeply with real citizens,” he said.
![People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo greets supporters during of his visit to Jangja Village, a Hansen’s disease settlement in Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 4. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/07/ae625dab-4407-4bda-a9f6-582446414676.jpg)
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo greets supporters during of his visit to Jangja Village, a Hansen’s disease settlement in Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 4. [YONHAP]
That kind of engagement helped him enter the 2012 presidential primary, although he was ultimately blocked by Park Geun-hye. Yet it also revealed his limits. Kim lacked a broad political vision. His determination could be both his strength and his flaw. His sometimes extreme remarks earned him a reputation for being far right, and he became associated with Korea’s “asphalt conservatives.”
After years of political marginalization, fortune smiled on Kim again this year. He became the presidential nominee of a 108-seat party. But he did not reach this position alone. As the hybrid term “Kim-Duck-soo” (a play on Kim Moon-soo and Han Duck-soo) suggests, his candidacy was part of a two-person political structure. That has led to intense pressure for him to unify with Han, an independent contender.
On May 6, a PPP lawmaker publicly apologized, saying, “Many of us supported Kim because we believed he was sincere and would agree to unify. At least until yesterday, that belief seems to have been mistaken.” Kim has reason to feel disappointed, but the political reality he faces is unforgiving.
The opposition warns that if former DP leader Lee Jae-myung and his party win, they could consolidate power to an unprecedented degree. Critics claim the party seeks to influence not only the executive and legislature, but also the judiciary. Lee’s allies have proposed bills that could exempt certain individuals from prosecution and have already pushed through 31 impeachment motions in the National Assembly. There is even talk of impeaching the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Expanding the number of Supreme Court justices, they argue, could reshape the judiciary itself.
Some scholars fear the consolidation of all three branches — executive, legislative, and judicial — into a single political entity. “This could amount to the unification of powers,” warned Seoul National University Prof. Kang Won-taek, likening the scenario to developments in Latin America or Eastern Europe.
For the health of Korea’s democracy, a measure of institutional balance is essential. It may be no coincidence that Lee has more directly joined his party’s attacks on the judiciary just as internal friction over opposition unification is growing.
![People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo offers incense at the Memorial Tower at Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on the morning of May 4. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/07/e0afd552-8508-4a77-988a-17d3eaa2a683.jpg)
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo offers incense at the Memorial Tower at Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District, southern Seoul, on the morning of May 4. [NEWS1]
Kim now faces a pivotal decision. He cannot win as things stand. Even with a unified opposition, there is no guarantee of victory. And a merged candidacy does not assure Kim of the nomination. If he wins the unification contest, he becomes a stronger candidate. If he loses, he preserves political integrity. But if he delays or rejects unification outright, the moment may pass.
Fifteen years ago, Kim broke through a complacent political culture. What will he do now — and how will history judge him?
Perhaps the words of Kim Jong-pil, a seasoned political strategist, offer some guidance: “Politics is the art of giving things up. If something cannot be done, you must abandon it cleanly. Only then can you prioritize and proceed with what truly matters.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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