[Exclusive] People Power Party Likely to Postpone Presidential Primary... "Will the Bus Start After Chuseok?"

Concerns Over Internal Party Conflict if Primary Period Extends
Time and Opportunities Provided to External Candidates Including Yoon Seok-yeol
Gyeongjunwi Official: "Discussed but Nothing Decided"

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Geum Bo-ryeong] Following the Democratic Party of Korea, the People Power Party has also begun discussing the possibility of postponing the primary election schedule for next year's presidential election. The initial plan is to delay the start of the primary from the end of August by about a month, moving it to the end of September. It is believed that the starting points of the discussion include securing time for the Chuseok holiday and recruiting external figures. However, since the interests of the preliminary candidates may differ, it is uncertain whether the discussions will proceed smoothly.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the first meeting of the Presidential Election Preparatory Committee held at the National Assembly on the 9th, delivering a greeting./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

A key figure from a leading presidential candidate's camp in the People Power Party said on the 16th, "The primary schedule has been postponed to after the Chuseok holiday (end of September), and we are preparing the campaign schedule accordingly," adding, "I understand this decision also takes into account the COVID-19 situation as well as the holiday."

However, the People Power Party has not yet officially confirmed the postponement. A representative from the Primary Election Preparation Committee stated, "We have discussed the option of pushing it back to the end of September," but added, "Nothing has been decided yet." The explicit reason given by the committee for the postponement is based on past presidential election experience, which showed that a primary schedule of about 40 days was most appropriate. If the primary starts at the end of August as currently planned, the schedule would extend to about 70 days until the final candidate is decided in early November. Analysts suggest that the prolonged primary could cause fatigue, and the fact that the Chuseok holiday falls in the middle of the primary is also a factor. Additionally, it is seen as an attempt to provide time for a leading opposition presidential candidate to decide on joining the party.

According to political circles, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, has promoted the 'end of August bus departure theory,' meaning that candidate registration for the primary would begin at the end of August, making the party's presidential election schedule appear finalized. In fact, Lee appeared on a radio show that day and said, "Since we have been consistently talking about the end of August bus departure theory, I believe that candidates will declare their intention to run and communicate with many people before then, so it should not be delayed."

However, according to political insiders, this end-of-August bus departure theory is not set in stone.

For the People Power Party, the timing of the party primary affects the possibility of external candidates joining. In particular, for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who urgently needs to carry out his own schedule such as expanding his base, having about an extra month to deliberate is welcome. On the other hand, there may be internal dissatisfaction over whether this gives preferential treatment to external figures.

If the People Power Party postpones the primary schedule, the actual period for the primary will be shortened. According to the party's rules, the final presidential candidate must be decided by November 9, which is already fixed. If the bus departs at the end of August, the primary lasts about 70 days; if at the end of September, about 40 days. In the 2007 presidential election, the Grand National Party began candidate registration on June 11 and continued the primary for 70 days until August 20. During that primary, the party was divided into pro-Lee Myung-bak (Chin Lee) and pro-Park Geun-hye (Chin Park) factions, engaging in a fierce battle. The party was effectively split into two, leaving deep wounds. The long primary period is also considered to have exacerbated the conflict. In contrast, in the 2012 presidential election, candidate registration began on July 10 and the candidate was confirmed by August 20. The short 41-day primary is said to have reduced internal damage.

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