For Korea’s conservatives, defeat must finally lead to reform

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For Korea’s conservatives, defeat must finally lead to reform

Published: 12 Jun. 2025, 00:01

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Chin Jung-kwon

The author is a professor at Kwangwoon University.

“There is little to be learned from victory, but everything can be learned from defeat.” That line appeared on someone’s Facebook profile shortly after the latest presidential election. But looking at the emergency meeting held by the People Power Party (PPP), one would never know they suffered a crushing defeat. There seems to be no willingness to learn from it.

The election results offer several lessons — if the party chooses to recognize them.

Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo speaks at a news conference after his defeat is confirmed at the People Power Party's headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, early on June 4. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

First, the PPP must finally cross the river of impeachment. It made no sense to nominate Kim Moon-soo — a candidate who opposed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol — in an election triggered by that very impeachment. But that same candidate is now preparing to run for party leader once again.

Second, the party must restore internal democracy. This is a party that twice ousted its own elected leaders and tried to sideline even a candidate chosen by the membership. As long as those responsible remain in power, reform of any kind is impossible.

Third, a generational transition is essential. Between the young voters supporting Lee Jun-seok and the older conservative base of Kim, there lies a wider divide than the one over impeachment. Without bridging that generational gap, the party is locked into a permanent pattern of defeat.

Responsibility for all three failures — opposing impeachment, dismantling democratic procedures and fracturing the conservative base — rests squarely with the pro-Yoon faction that dominates the PPP. Despite leading the party into a succession of crises, they remain firmly entrenched in power. When interim leader Kim Yong-tae proposed a reform plan to be decided by partywide vote, it was promptly rejected by sitting lawmakers and district leaders. They seemed to realize just how far they’ve drifted from the party’s base.

But it’s worth remembering that it was party members who elected the young leader who once called for moving beyond the impeachment era in former President Park Geun-hye’s hometown. It was also members who defied Yoon’s preferences to install new leadership. These were signs that much of the party’s base understood the need for change.

What derailed those efforts was resistance from within. These power brokers care little for the party’s future or the fate of conservatism itself. What matters is holding on to their own seats — especially those considered “safe” in traditional strongholds where a nomination is nearly a guaranteed win. Their logic is simple: “We can give up the presidency, but not our district.” Their thinking is summed up in one quote from PPP lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun: “Just wait a year. They’ll vote for us again.”

With no viable candidate to offer, the pro-Yoon Suk Yeol faction now appears to be engineering another power play. Their likely plan: elect a floor leader aligned with their bloc, then appoint another interim leader, ensuring control of nominations for next year’s local elections. Public backlash will be fierce, but they seem unconcerned. For incumbents in districts where winning the nomination means winning the seat, public opinion matters little.

Leadership within the PPP has changed hands numerous times in the past three years: Lee Jun-seok, Joo Ho-young’s interim committee, Chung Jin-suk’s interim committee, Kim Gi-hyeon, Han Dong-hoon’s interim committee, Hwang Woo-yea’s interim committee, Han again, Kwon Young-se’s interim committee, and Kim Yong-tae’s interim committee. Now, another interim committee is being discussed.

In a party where “interim” leadership has become the norm, the one constant is the dominance of the pro-Yoon Suk Yeol mainstream. Regardless of who is formally in charge, it is always the same faction steering the party.

This is not the first foreseeable collapse the PPP has endured. There have been no sincere apologies or clear acts of accountability. At best, there are vague calls for shared responsibility — an effort to dilute blame across the board. But collective responsibility too often becomes no responsibility at all. The party operates more like a cartel of vested interests, aligning around whichever political host can serve them, then abandoning that host once the political utility fades.

Time and again, they have disrupted the natural course of change to protect their own interests. That dynamic is unlikely to change. Without a new “host” to feed on, it is easy to imagine them attempting to revive a failed presidential candidate.

Conservative People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul [KIM SANG-SEON]

They will not step down voluntarily. Once again, the burden falls on the party’s rank-and-file members. Superficial unity is not the solution. A serious reckoning is overdue. This is a conflict the party must face.

However, this cannot be reduced to a factional war. For the public to see the internal conflict as a genuine fight for reform and principles — not just power — it must be framed carefully. Only then will voters respond with hope instead of fatigue. This is the last chance.

Conservatives have repeatedly failed in recent elections, largely because of Yoon Suk Yeol. With him now removed from the party, it is time to rebuild from the ground up. A new administration must be formed — one that no individual can undermine — based on contrition, reform and the collective will of party members.

The recent presidential election revealed a clear shift among voters in their 20s and 30s. That trend will only grow stronger. Times have changed. If conservatives fail to reform again, they may have no choice but to rebuild entirely around a new conservative party.

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