People Power Party cannot move forward without cutting ties to Yoon

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People Power Party cannot move forward without cutting ties to Yoon

Published: 13 May. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo presents a letter of appointment to Rep. Kim Yong-tae, who was named the party’s new emergency committee chairman, during a ceremony at the PPP headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on May 12, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The People Power Party (PPP) has taken a bold step by appointing Rep. Kim Yong-tae, born in 1990, as its new emergency committee chairman. The move is widely seen as a response to criticism of the party’s aging leadership, particularly given that its presidential candidate, Kim Moon-soo, is 74. Some speculate that Kim’s close relationship with Lee Jun-seok, head of the Reform Party, signals a strategic push for a broader anti-Lee Jae-myung coalition.

Regardless of the motive, the appointment underscores the PPP’s belated acknowledgment that its leadership must change. Since former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and removed from office on April 4, the party has faced mounting pressure to reinvent itself. That it took a political crisis and a failed candidate swap to finally install a younger figure suggests the party has been slow to grasp the depth of public disillusionment.

In remarks on Monday, Kim pledged to “deliver change so rapid it surprises the public” and “steer the party toward commonsense reform.” But restoring credibility will take more than a youthful face. The PPP is reeling from a string of missteps that have left many questioning its very legitimacy as a mainstream political party. Some within the party are even calling for a full rebranding or a complete dissolution and relaunch.

At the heart of this identity crisis is the party’s continued association with Yoon Suk Yeol. Any attempt at reinvention will fail unless it is accompanied by a decisive break from the former president. Yoon’s actions were the catalyst for the conservative collapse. Without his declaration of martial law — a move unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court — there would have been no early presidential election, and Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung would still be in court.

Yoon faces further legal trouble. In addition to a looming criminal trial for his attempted imposition of martial law, he is also implicated in a growing list of scandals, including alleged meddling in the nomination process and mishandling of the death of a Marine.

The PPP must decide whether to sever ties or go down with him. This choice falls squarely on presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and emergency committee chairman-designate Kim Yong-tae. Han Dong-hoon, former PPP chair, has already demanded that Kim Moon-soo apologize publicly for the martial law and impeachment controversies, warning that without such a gesture, the election would become a proxy battle on behalf of Yoon and his wife.

Yoon’s influence still lingers over the PPP. Some party insiders believe that efforts by former acting chair Kwon Young-se and floor leader Kwon Seong-dong to back Han Duck-soo as the presidential candidate were orchestrated under Yoon’s instructions. Yoon’s recent remarks — “I will walk with you to defend this nation’s liberal democracy” — only deepen concerns that he remains intent on playing a behind-the-scenes role.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 12 after the morning session of his third trial on charges including masterminding a rebellion while declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

If the PPP truly wants to rebuild — not only for this election, but also for the long-term future of Korean conservatism — it must draw a clear line between its vision and Yoon’s legacy. That separation is not optional. It is the first unavoidable step toward political recovery.

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