[Politics, That Day...] Jo Kyung-tae and Kim Young-hwan, 2012 Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Competition

Moon Jae-in, Sohn Hak-kyu, Chung Sye-kyun, Kim Du-kwan, Park Jun-young Pass Democratic United Party Cutoff
Party Members and Public Opinion Poll Primary... Kim Jung-gil, Kim Young-hwan, Cho Kyung-tae Fail Cutoff

[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, and figures that deserve attention.

The joint speech meeting for the Democratic United Party's presidential primary candidates was held on the afternoon of July 27, 2012, at the Daejeon Convention Center. The candidates are raising their hands to appeal for support.

The presidential election is a contest that requires a preparation process, political funds, and organizational power incomparable to the parliamentary election.

Those who throw their hats into the ring to become a leading party's presidential candidate each have their own strong points. Sometimes it is the result of an unrealistic self-promotion, but often it is a calculated gamble based on the judgment that they have sufficient competitiveness for the main election.

In the 2012 Democratic United Party presidential primary, eight politicians with ‘big dreams’ threw their hats into the ring. They were Sohn Hak-kyu, Cho Kyung-tae, Moon Jae-in, Park Jun-young, Kim Jung-gil, Kim Du-kwan, Kim Young-hwan, and Chung Sye-kyun. It was a contest to see who had competitiveness against Park Geun-hye, who was the likely candidate for the Saenuri Party.

Assemblyman Jo Kyung-tae of the People Power Party. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The reason parties operate a cut-off system in presidential elections is a strategic move considering political entertainment effects and practical difficulties. The cut-off itself is an element of entertainment. Just showing who is eliminated and who advances, and who shows competitiveness during the primary process can attract public interest.

It is also worth noting that if there are too many candidates, the charm of TV debates cannot be fully realized. In fact, if 8 to 9 candidates appear in a TV debate, due to time constraints on speaking, a proper debate cannot be conducted. The cut-off system is a preparatory process to increase the attention of TV debates.

The problem is that the cut-off is a harsh judgment arena for politicians. If included in the cut-off, they must step down from the presidential race before properly explaining to the public why they want to become president.

So, who experienced the pain of the cut-off in the 2012 Democratic United Party primary?

Former Assemblyman Kim Young-hwan

At that time, the primary was structured as a competition between the so-called Big 4?Moon Jae-in, Sohn Hak-kyu, Chung Sye-kyun, and Kim Du-kwan?and the other four candidates. The focus of attention was on which of the four candidates?Kim Young-hwan, Kim Jung-gil, Park Jun-young, and Cho Kyung-tae?would survive.

Politician Park Jun-young was a figure with experience as a three-term governor of Jeonnam Province. Having Honam as a support base is an advantageous factor in the Democratic Party presidential primary. Politician Kim Jung-gil was known as a leader in Busan politics and a friend of former President Roh Moo-hyun.

Considering the recent political paths of politicians Kim Young-hwan and Cho Kyung-tae, their challenge for the 2012 Democratic United Party presidential candidacy might be perceived as surprising. Both are currently members of the People Power Party. However, if you look at their political roots, the story changes.

Cho Kyung-tae, a five-term lawmaker, was elected three times as a member of Democratic Party-affiliated parties (including the Uri Party). In particular, Cho established his political competitiveness by being consecutively elected in Busan, which is considered a difficult electoral district.

Politician Kim Young-hwan is a four-term lawmaker. From the 15th general election in 1996 to the 19th general election in 2012, he tasted the joy of victory when running as a candidate for Democratic Party-affiliated parties. He served as Minister of Science and Technology under the Kim Dae-jung administration and was a spokesperson during the Millennium Democratic Party era, showing his political roots lie with the Democratic Party.

Im Chae-jung, then chairman of the Democratic United Party's election management committee, held a press conference on July 30, 2012, and announced the five candidates (in order of ballot number) who passed the cut-off. Sohn Hak-kyu, Moon Jae-in, Park Jun-young, Kim Du-kwan, and Chung Sye-kyun passed the preliminary primary conducted through public opinion polls targeting party members and the general public.

On the other hand, three candidates did not pass the preliminary primary. The protagonists were Kim Jung-gil, Kim Young-hwan, and Cho Kyung-tae. Their 'last presidential challenge' in Democratic Party-affiliated parties ended there.

Although there is no ‘what if’ in politics, if candidates Kim Young-hwan and Cho Kyung-tae had passed the cut-off at that time, would their political trajectories have been different?

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