People Power Party Launches By-election and Presidential Election Campaigns Simultaneously... 'Setting the Stage' in Full Swing

Preparation for By-election Campaign Committee Launch... Kim Jong-in Also Encourages Presidential Bids of Potential Candidates

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader, are attending the Emergency Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The People Power Party has started to make swift moves ahead of major political events next April: the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections and the 2022 presidential election. They are preparing the groundwork by soon launching an organization for the by-elections and encouraging presidential election activities centered around prominent internal candidates.

The People Power Party plans to form a by-election countermeasure committee (tentative name) within this month and begin full-scale election preparations. Originally, it was scheduled to be launched after approval by the Emergency Response Committee on the 12th, but it was postponed. The party had almost completed preparations, including nominating former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Yoo Il-ho, a pro-Park and economic expert, as the committee chairman.

With about six months remaining before the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, they are starting preparations early. This reflects the urgency to be fully prepared, as these elections are opportunities created by the ruling party’s mistakes and serve as a preliminary battle for the next presidential election.

However, since there are disagreements over committee member appointments, the launch timing may be further delayed. One official explained, "It was on the agenda until just before the Emergency Response Committee meeting, but there were issues with member composition." Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Response Committee chairman, also told reporters after the meeting, "There are matters to reconsider regarding personnel composition, so we decided to postpone it."

The committee’s core task is to establish the party’s primary rules for candidate selection. It is crucial to narrow down the overflowing number of Busan mayoral candidates, which number around 20, and select a candidate with a high chance of winning for the Seoul mayoral race. Since there are latent conflicts, the challenge is to select candidates based on criteria acceptable to all.

While intensifying preparations for the by-elections, Chairman Kim Jong-in is also laying the groundwork for the presidential election by mentioning potential candidates within the party one by one. In July, Kim focused on recruiting external "emerging figures," but on the 8th, he drew attention by naming Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong, former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, saying, "Party members interested in the presidency will appear one after another."

Launching the presidential election campaign alongside urgent by-election preparations appears to be a strategy to dispel criticism that the ruling party lacks presidential candidates and to create synergy for the by-elections. It also indicates that attempts to recruit external figures yielded little result. Since a presidential candidate lineup must become visible by the end of this year, the party intends to maintain appropriate tension by promoting internal potential candidates first.

In response, these internal potential candidates have begun active movements. Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong publicly declared his intention to run for the presidency the day before. On a broadcast, he said, "I will prepare for the presidential election. I plan to concretize and present tangible parts around October to November," making him likely the first among the potential candidates to officially announce his presidential bid.

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min is also preparing a comeback by setting up an office near the National Assembly. He is in the final stages of writing a book. It is expected that he will start his presidential campaign with a book publication event. Former Mayor Oh Se-hoon is reportedly refining his vision while continuing his role as the party branch chief for Gwangjin District in Seoul.

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