Unruly candidate swap shows need for reform in conservative politics

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Unruly candidate swap shows need for reform in conservative politics

Published: 12 May. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo embrace after their meeting at Kim’s campaign office in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 11. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The People Power Party’s attempt to replace its presidential candidate collapsed late Saturday night after party members voted down the proposal. With the vote rejecting the last-minute change, Kim Moon-soo was formally confirmed as the party’s nominee. But the events leading up to that decision were anything but democratic, revealing troubling dysfunction at the core of the conservative party.

In an extraordinary move, the party’s election committee issued a candidate registration notice at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, giving a one-hour window — from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. — to submit 32 documents, including income and property tax records for both the candidate and their spouse, criminal background checks, and more. The registration site was Room 228 in the main National Assembly building. Unsurprisingly, lawmakers and party members condemned the process. “Who is this absurd system designed to benefit?” asked Rep. Bae Hyun-jin. Only one person, Han Duck-soo, managed to register in time — leading to allegations that the process had been rigged in his favor.

The party’s emergency leadership committee then tried to push through Han’s nomination, but the measure was defeated in a party-wide vote held from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. that same day. What resulted was not a candidate transition but a political farce that has further undermined public confidence in the party’s internal governance.

The debacle underscores an urgent truth: Korea’s conservative party needs serious reform. It would be one thing if this power struggle were taking place in the midst of a competitive campaign. But the People Power Party is already facing slim prospects for victory. Analysts suggest the internal feud is more about controlling the party after the election than about winning it. With less than a month to go before the vote, the party has shown more interest in internal squabbles than in appealing to the public.

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo (center) speaks during a meeting of the party’s central election committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 11. [YONHAP]

Even now, after a constitutional crisis triggered by martial law and the impeachment of a sitting president, the party has failed to engage the moderate electorate. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose actions are partly to blame for the current crisis, added to the confusion by posting on social media that the primary process had been “intense but healthy” — a comment that seemed tone-deaf given the turmoil.

Kim Moon-soo, for his part, also bears responsibility. During the campaign, he had publicly promised to unify with Han on 22 separate occasions, only to walk back those statements. Party leader Kwon Young-se resigned on Sunday, but calls for a broader leadership shake-up are already gaining momentum among lawmakers.

What conservatives need now is not more drama, but focus. The upcoming presidential election is critical, and the People Power Party must devote itself to that campaign. Regardless of the election outcome, the chaotic and opaque process surrounding the nomination has made one thing clear: serious structural reform within the party is no longer optional.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.