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Pro-Yoon bloc threatens future of People Power Party

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 00:00

The conservative People Power Party’s ballot counting monitoring room at the National Assembly is seen with many empty seats as its lawmakers began leaving the venue after seeing exit polls indicating its candidate Kim Moon-soo was unlikely to be elected as president on June 3. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

The People Power Party (PPP) remains rudderless after its defeat in the recent presidential election. At a general assembly on June 9, PPP lawmakers debated the party’s future leadership structure but failed to reach a conclusion. Factions aligned with Han Dong-hoon and former candidate Kim Moon-soo support interim leader Kim Yong-tae’s proposal to hold a national convention in September. However, pro-Yoon Suk Yeol lawmakers oppose the plan.

Each faction’s motives are clear. Those backing Han and Kim want to secure party leadership before next year’s local elections to control candidate nominations. The pro-Yoon bloc, lacking a viable contender for party leadership, argues that internal restructuring should come first — though their real aim appears to be delaying the convention.

Even before the election, observers noted that many in the PPP seemed more focused on post-election power struggles than the campaign itself. Now, that impression is becoming reality. To voters, the scene appears both absurd and frustrating. The party urgently needs a fundamental overhaul. Without it, the PPP risks devolving into a regional party limited to Yeongnam.

No one within the party has taken responsibility for its defeat. Instead, multiple factions are vying for control. This raises serious doubts about the party’s ability to regain public trust.

The idea of Kim Moon-soo becoming the next party leader is especially problematic. His 41.2 percent vote share in the election was not a personal endorsement but a strategic choice by conservatives to prevent a Lee Jae-myung presidency. Kim’s past opposition to Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and ties to hardline conservative groups such as Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon’s faction make him a symbol of regression, not renewal. It is worth remembering that after the 2017 presidential loss, Hong Joon-pyo took control of the party — then the Liberty Korea Party — and led it to historic defeat in the 2018 local elections.

The prospect of Han Dong-hoon, who led the party during last year’s legislative election defeat, returning to power should also be approached with caution. Many within the party still view him skeptically. A rushed comeback would likely intensify internal conflict and could impair the party’s ability to function even if he were elected leader.

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]

Most urgently, the pro-Yoon faction must step aside. The collapse of the Yoon administration cannot be separated from the dominance of this group, which turned the party into a rubber stamp for the presidential office. The ousting of former chairman Lee Jun-seok alienated younger voters, while their unwavering opposition to impeachment blocked necessary changes in party direction.

In the end, political reform starts with personnel change. The PPP will only begin to recover if the pro-Yoon bloc withdraws.

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