[Politics, That Day...] Pro-Park vs. Anti-Park 'Floor Leaders' Clash... Another Twist After Park's Impeachment

One Week After President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Approval, Jung Woo-taek and Na Kyung-won Compete in Saenuri Party Floor Leader Election
Pro-Park Faction Maintains Party Leadership Amid Impeachment Shock... Anti-Park Faction's Momentum Weakened, Sparks of Defection

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to scenes, events, or figures that deserve attention.

If you were to pick the period most fittingly described as a ‘turbulent storm’ in Korean politics, December 2016 cannot be left out. It was the time when the impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye was passed in the National Assembly plenary session. Korean politics was caught in a ‘whirlwind of chaos.’

The impeachment of a sitting president would have been unthinkable without the agreement of the majority of ruling party lawmakers. The fact that even members of the ruling Saenuri Party at the time joined in the impeachment of President Park was shocking in many respects when the National Assembly plenary session passed the motion on December 9, 2016.

Out of 300 total members, 299 participated in the vote, with 234 in favor, 56 against, 7 invalid votes, and 2 abstentions, resulting in the approval of the impeachment motion. Analysis showed that at least 60 Saenuri Party lawmakers supported President Park’s impeachment.

The pro-Park (Pro-Park Geun-hye) faction desperately tried to block the passage of the impeachment motion in the plenary session but to no avail. There were even reports that some members of the pro-Park faction supported the approval of the impeachment motion.

The situation within the Saenuri Party was literally shrouded in fog. Depending on who took control of the party, not only the Saenuri Party but the entire landscape of Korean politics could change. While the shock of the impeachment had not yet subsided, the pro-Park and anti-Park (Anti-Park Geun-hye) factions within the Saenuri Party prepared for a decisive battle of fate.

The election of a new floor leader for the Saenuri Party took place on December 16, 2016, one week after President Park’s impeachment. The pro-Park faction pushed for Representative Jeong Woo-taek as the new floor leader. Key anti-Park lawmakers such as Kim Moo-sung and Yoo Seung-min supported Representative Na Kyung-won.

The Jeong Woo-taek vs. Na Kyung-won showdown was a decisive battle that would determine the fate of the Saenuri Party, which stood at a crossroads of division. For the pro-Park faction, which had failed to block the impeachment motion just a week earlier, the floor leader election was a matter of political survival.

On the other hand, the anti-Park faction, which had driven the approval of the impeachment motion, needed to maintain party leadership to achieve the Saenuri Party’s transformation and rebirth.

Predicting the outcome of a party floor leader election is difficult because, besides factional power struggles, there are variables that influence the results. The so-called ‘personal skills’ of candidates cannot be ignored. The personal relationships, educational ties, and regional affiliations between candidates and lawmakers also affect voting intentions.

For example, if a lawmaker B supported candidate A in the floor leader election a year ago, candidate A owes a political debt to lawmaker B. If lawmaker B runs in the floor leader election a year later, candidate A is politically obliged to repay that debt.

In a floor leader election where every vote counts, such political connections can be decisive variables affecting the outcome.

Additionally, when lawmakers C and D share a high school or university alma mater, it also influences voting preferences. The same applies if they come from the same hometown. Even if there are political differences, they may make different choices in the floor leader election.

Those running in the floor leader election cannot relax until the vote count is announced. Lawmakers who watched the Saenuri Party floor leader election on December 16, 2016, also anxiously awaited the results. When the vote count was announced, pro-Park faction lawmakers could not hide their smiles.

The final tally showed candidate Jeong Woo-taek with 62 votes and candidate Na Kyung-won with 55 votes, making Jeong Woo-taek, backed by the pro-Park faction, the new floor leader. The pro-Park faction laid the foundation for a political revival. The anti-Park faction faced the situation of having to resort to the last card of leaving the party.

In fact, about 30 Saenuri Party lawmakers, including key anti-Park politicians Kim Moo-sung and Yoo Seung-min, declared their departure from the party on December 21, 2016, just five days after losing the floor leader election. The lawmakers who joined the departure stated, “We will break away from fake conservatives and establish the true center of conservative politics.” The ‘turbulence’ of December 2016 thus foreshadowed a tectonic shift in the political scene of Yeouido.

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