The 'Rookie Wave' Toward the Opposition Party Has Stopped... Will Lee Jun-seok Benefit from the 'Unification Effect'?

Hwang Woo-yeo, the Election Management Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, announced the list of five candidates advancing to the final round?Na Kyung-won, Lee Jun-seok, Cho Kyung-tae, Joo Ho-young, and Hong Moon-pyo?during the preliminary party representative primary results announcement held at the National Assembly on the 28th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok, and lawmakers Cho Kyung-tae, Joo Ho-young, and Hong Moon-pyo advanced to the main round of the People Power Party's June 11 party representative election. Among the five candidates, four are senior lawmakers, putting an end to the 'freshman storm' aiming for the next party leadership, but this is expected to allow former Supreme Council member Lee to benefit from a unification effect.

On the 28th, the People Power Party's election management committee announced the results of the party member vote and public opinion poll conducted on the 26th and 27th.

Except for former Supreme Council member Lee, who has never been elected as a member of the National Assembly, the other candidates are all current or former senior lawmakers. Lawmakers Cho Kyung-tae and Joo Ho-young are five-term lawmakers, Hong Moon-pyo is a four-term lawmaker, and former lawmaker Na Kyung-won also served four terms.

Three-term lawmaker Yoon Young-seok and first-term lawmakers Kim Woong and Kim Eun-hye were defeated. In particular, lawmakers Kim Woong and Kim Eun-hye, who led the 'first-term party representative theory' and created a 'newcomer versus senior' structure, had raised expectations of advancing to the main round but decided to withdraw their bids for the next party leadership following this announcement.

After the preliminary round results were announced, lawmaker Kim Woong said on Facebook, "Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far," adding, "I will continue to strive to make the People Power Party one that gives the public thrilling inspiration."

However, with former Supreme Council member Lee surviving among the newcomers, there is an analysis that he may actually benefit from a unification effect. This is because lawmakers Kim Woong and Kim Eun-hye, who called for both 'change' and 'reform,' are likely to support former Supreme Council member Lee.

Lawmaker Kim Eun-hye said, "Although Kim Eun-hye stops here, the party convention is not over yet. The festival must continue. The winds of change cannot be stopped," and added, "I ask the public and party members to protect our festival."

The five candidates participating in the main round will take part in joint regional speeches and TV debates over about two weeks. On July 9-10, the final winner will be decided by combining 70% party member votes and 30% public opinion polls.

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