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'An election of life or death': Calls mount for Yoon to leave PPP

Published: 15 May. 2025, 16:59

Former president Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, leave the presidential residence on April 11. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A message from former President Yoon Suk Yeol calling for “unity” has sparked a political firestorm just more than 20 days ahead of the June 3 presidential election, with growing voices inside and outside the People Power Party (PPP) urging Yoon to voluntarily leave.

In a Facebook post titled “An Appeal to the People” on Sunday, Yoon wrote, “Our opponents are formidable. We must unite now.

“The June 3 presidential election is not simply about a change in administration, but a choice between preserving or dismantling the free Republic of Korea,” wrote Yoon. “It is an election of life and death.”

The party, already reeling from allegations that Yoon interfered in its primary race, was thrown into crisis, interpreting the message as a signal of Yoon’s intention to influence the presidential election.

“This is not the time for the former president to step in,” a senior PPP official said. “The impeachment crisis and the election campaign are completely different situations.”

Among those most vocal in advocating for Yoon’s departure is Rep. Kim Yong-tae, who has been tapped to chair the PPP’s emergency leadership committee.

After being seated to lead the party's emergency committee, Rep. Kim immediately apologized for Yoon having declared martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and promised to “change so much and so fast that the people will be surprised.”

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 12 after attending the third hearing of his trial on insurrection charges. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

“We will reach a consensus within the party and make a decision that aligns with public expectations,” Kim Yong-tae said the following day, addressing the controversy surrounding Yoon’s potential exit. “I have repeatedly said he must make that decision himself.”

Regarding the possibility of expulsion, he said, “I am listening to many views and carefully considering them.”

But Kim Moon-soo's mixed messages backfired.

“It is neither responsible nor proper to resolve this by expelling a president elected by the party,” Kim Moon-soo said Tuesday. “Whether the former president decides to leave is up to him.

“The former president will make a wise decision,” he repeated the next day, after a campaign rally in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang.

Within the PPP, the prevailing view is that both Kims are playing a coordinated “good cop, bad cop” strategy — Rep. Kim signaling a break from Yoon to appeal to centrist voters, while candidate Kim attempts to soothe the party base.

Former president Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and his wife Kim Keon Hee leave the presidential residence on April 11. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Party insiders speculate that the deadline for Yoon’s potential departure is Sunday, the date of the first televised presidential debate.

“There’s talk that an ex-secretary from the presidential office is acting as a go-between,” said a former presidential aide. “If a decision is made before the first debate, the impact of his exit could be maximized.”

Calls for Yoon’s departure have intensified amid stagnant support for the conservative bloc. A Gallup Korea poll commissioned by News1 and released on Wednesday showed support for liberal Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung at 51 percent, while PPP candidate Kim and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok claimed 31 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

Reform Party candidate Lee, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who has yet to join a campaign, and former PPP lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, rumored to be considering involvement, all reportedly condition their participation on party reforms and distance from Yoon.

“It’s precisely because Kim Moon-soo opposed Yoon’s impeachment that he has the credibility to sever ties with him,” said a senior PPP lawmaker. “He is relatively immune to accusations of betrayal.”

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol enters the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 12 for the third hearing of his trial on charges of leading an insurrection. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Whether Yoon will succumb to pressure to leave the party remains uncertain.

Cho Won-jin, leader of the far-right Our Republican Party, told YTN on Wednesday that “there is a possibility the former president will voluntarily leave the party.”

Jeon Han-gil, a popular conservative Korean history lecturer who often echoes Yoon’s views, told the JoongAng Ilbo by phone that “the former president has no intention of leaving the party.”

Yoon’s appeal last Sunday was first released through Jeon’s YouTube channel highlighting their close relationship.

“Yoon’s top priority is [the PPP] winning the election,” said Jeon. “He believes remaining in the party is more beneficial for victory.”

“Demands for former President Yoon to leave the party are stirring internal conflict and diverting attention from our true opponents,” wrote pro-Yoon lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun on Facebook on Wednesday.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK TAE-IN [[email protected]]