Yoon Seok-yeol and Choi Jae-hyung's Emergence as Outsiders Causes Hesitation Among Party Candidates... Double Hardship with COVID-19 Spread

Candidates within the party postpone schedules amid COVID-19 surge, when will they present their vision?

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Following former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung and former Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Kim Dong-yeon have also begun their full-fledged political activities outside the party, weakening the influence of existing intra-party contenders. Moreover, with the added spread of COVID-19, it seems increasingly difficult for them to assert their presence.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon, who is continuing his public listening campaign titled 'Yoon Seok-yeol Listens,' has recently intensified his public appearances. On Constitution Day, July 17, he visited the Gwangju National 5.18 Democratic Cemetery and posted on Facebook that "The 5.18 Democratic Movement was an uprising that defended the constitutional spirit of 'liberal democracy' with blood," adding that "the sacrifices and grievances of Gwangju must be sublimated into universal human values such as freedom and human rights."

He is also accelerating the formation of his campaign team. Until now, Yoon’s campaign had not disclosed personnel beyond the spokesperson group and public relations team, but on the 18th, it announced the appointment of former Ambassador to the UK Hwang Jun-guk as the head of the support committee. Additionally, on the 16th, former Minister of Science and Technology Kim Young-hwan, affiliated with the People Power Party, joined the campaign.

Former Chairman Choi, who joined the People Power Party just eight days after declaring his political participation on the 15th, is rapidly engaging in public activities. On the day after his party entry, the 16th, Constitution Day, he criticized the Moon Jae-in administration, stating, "Many governance acts have been exercised beyond the powers prescribed by the constitution and laws," and "The right of recommendation stipulated in the constitution was not properly exercised, lawful procedures were not followed in the policy-making and execution processes depending on the ruler’s intentions, and there were many personnel interventions beyond the powers defined by the constitution and laws."

On the 17th, he began public activities by volunteering to pick up trash along the Dongcheon Bridge riverside in Haeundae, Busan, together with People Power Party lawmaker Kim Mi-ae and party members. Known for adopting two sons and engaging in volunteer work, he appears to be aiming to differentiate himself with his touching personal story.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Kim, who is expected to start his political activities from the 'third zone,' is likely to accelerate his presidential campaign starting with the release of his book "Breaking Taboos in the Republic of Korea" on the 19th. He has recently increased contact with the public through media interviews, signaling his intention to run for president.

Meanwhile, the presence of intra-party contenders is diminishing further. According to a presidential candidate support poll conducted by Asia Economy through Win-Gi Korea Consulting on the 10th and 11th, intra-party candidates such as People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo (4.8%), former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min (3.2%), People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo (2.1%), and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong (1.3%) all received support rates below 5%. (The survey was conducted via wireless ARS with 100% mobile phone virtual numbers, and the sample was extracted using weighted values by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (cell weighting). The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, refer to the Win-Gi Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.)

People Power Party presidential candidate Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Province (left), and Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, greet each other at the launch ceremony of the 'Hope Oreum Forum,' a gathering of incumbent lawmakers supporting Governor Won, held on the 7th at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, the strengthening of social distancing guidelines due to the fourth wave of COVID-19 could be another variable for these candidates. While attention is focused on the emergence of candidates outside the party, intra-party candidates need to enhance their recognition through policy announcements and communication activities, but offline activities themselves have been restricted.

In fact, each campaign is struggling with the changed quarantine situation. A representative from Governor Won’s side said, "Due to the surge in visitors to Jeju Island during the vacation season, we are focusing on COVID-19 prevention," adding, "We are handling schedules mainly through online activities such as appearances on Facebook and YouTube channels and interviews, and are considering directions for online campaigns." A representative from former lawmaker Yoo’s campaign also said, "Due to the spread of COVID-19, planned offline events such as the vision declaration ceremony and the 'Hope 22' joint forum have been postponed," adding, "There are no official events next week except for broadcast schedules." A representative from former Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn’s side explained, "Most of the meetings and schedules in Seoul have been canceled," and "We are continuously discussing alternative measures."

Lawmakers Hong, Yoo, and Ha Tae-kyung of the People Power Party have started releasing specific policy materials on real estate and military service, but they have not attracted much attention compared to candidates outside the party. Regarding this, former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "None of the presidential candidates have yet presented a proper vision," and explained, "Future support rates will depend on how well they recognize the current situation of the Republic of Korea, how they can appeal to the public, and whether they can articulate their own vision."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, who had advocated self-reliance and promoted 'intra-party candidates,' seems to be urging them to fend for themselves as the presidential primary approaches. In a broadcast interview on the 13th, Lee said, "Lawmakers Yoon Hee-sook and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong have been mentioned a lot in the media today, and increased media exposure can create an opportunity for their support rates to rise," urging, "Our party’s candidates have been too reserved so far. They need to have dynamism."

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