Son Hak-gyu Contemplating Jongno Candidacy... Will He Become the 'Third Zone Savior'?

Likely to Announce Position on Future This Week
Effect on Party Approval Ratings if Facing Lee-Hwang
Consideration of Running in Difficult Districts Among Incumbents

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Son Hak-kyu, former leader of the Bareunmirae Party and currently affiliated with the Minsheng Party, has entered a final stage of deliberation over running for the Seoul Jongno district. As the 4.15 general election landscape has been reshaped into a contest between the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party, there has been a flood of demands within the party for him to play the role of a 'third force savior.' Son is expected to announce his position on his candidacy within this week.

A key Minsheng Party official said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 12th, "It is true that (Son) is considering Jongno and Paju. He is about 80% inclined toward Jongno," adding, "He must make a decision by Sunday at the latest." Paju in Gyeonggi Province is where Son, during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi, attracted an LCD industrial complex.

If Son decides to run in Jongno, he will face off against former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon of the Democratic Party and Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party. Of course, Son's chances of winning are low. However, the Minsheng Party aims to establish a confrontation framework with the two major parties as a third party and to raise party support rates beyond Honam into the metropolitan area as an election strategy. Another Minsheng Party official said, "People know 'Bareunmirae Party's Son Hak-kyu,' but they don't know Minsheng Party," adding, "In the context of regression to a two-party system and stagnant party support rates, we need to make people aware that a third party exists."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Son has ties to Jongno. He led the 18th general election in 2008 and ran in Jongno but was defeated by former Hannara Party lawmaker Park Jin by a margin of 3.67 percentage points. At that time, he was the leader of the United Democratic Party, and the party was in a very difficult situation following a crushing defeat in the presidential election. Additionally, Son currently resides in Jongno.

Son's dilemma involves his relationship with former Prime Minister Lee. Lee was once classified as part of the so-called Son Hak-kyu faction, having served as secretary-general when Son was the leader of the Democratic Party. Lee also frequently visited Mandeoksan in Gangjin, Jeonnam, where Son was in seclusion during his time as governor of Jeonnam. Because of this, there are voices around Son advising against running in Jongno.

If Son decides to run in Jongno, the argument for Minsheng Party incumbent lawmakers to run in challenging districts is expected to gain momentum. Given that Son would be running in a district with low chances of winning for the party's sake, it would be burdensome if party lawmakers insist only on running in Honam constituencies or proportional representation. Kim Jeong-hwa, co-representative of the Minsheng Party, said at the supreme council meeting on the 9th, "It is time for senior members, including Son Hak-kyu, Jeong Dong-young, Cheon Jeong-bae, and Park Ji-won, to make the bold decision to run in challenging districts in the metropolitan area."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.