Won Hee-ryong Rapidly Rising... Will the Opposition's Top 4 Landscape Change?

Lee Jae-myung Wins for the First Time in Head-to-Head Poll
Daechang-dong 'Top Instructor' Strategy Deemed Effective

Former Jeju Governor and People Power Party presidential primary candidate Won Hee-ryong is participating in the 4th TV debate at Busan MBC on the afternoon of the 18th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Geum Bo-ryeong] As the People Power Party primary approaches its final stages, the remarkable efforts of former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong, who was considered the 'weakest' among the four candidates, stand out. His self-proclaimed role as the 'top instructor' regarding the Daejang-dong development scandal and his clear opposition to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, are seen as key factors in his resurgence. Attention is focused on whether the current primary dynamics?Yoon Seok-youl and Hong Joon-pyo as the two frontrunners, Yoo Seung-min as the first middle-tier candidate, and Won Hee-ryong as the weakest?will change.

In recent polls, former Governor Won secured 39.9% in a head-to-head matchup against candidate Lee. This resulted in a neck-and-neck race with Lee, who garnered 38.8% (Poll conducted by Polling Fairness, commissioned by Dailyan, targeting 1,001 adult men and women from the 15th to 16th, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level; for details, refer to the Central Election Commission website). Although this performance is not as strong as Hong Joon-pyo and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who led Lee by 14.1 and 12.8 percentage points respectively in the same poll, it is the first time Won has surpassed Lee.

Among presidential candidates, former Governor Won was the first to form a task force (TF) related to the Daejang-dong development scandal and responded swiftly to the issue by introducing the allegations through online lectures. On the 20th, coinciding with the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee’s audit of Gyeonggi Province, he conducted an 'all-day live broadcast' to lead the public opinion battle. He is also employing strategies that leverage his administrative experience to pressure competing candidates during presidential primary TV debates. Former Governor Won criticized frontrunner Hong Joon-pyo by pointing out the impracticality of his nuclear weapons response strategy and hydrogen economy plans.

Kim Yong-tae, the general campaign director of Won Hee-ryong’s camp, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "The current race has become two frontrunners and two middle-tier candidates. If one of the frontrunners collapses, Won Hee-ryong’s value will be rediscovered." He added, "Party members who desire a regime change have high expectations for someone who will decisively break the Daejang-dong issue."

Former Governor Won’s recent hints at the possibility of candidate replacement after the November presidential nomination have also drawn attention. He has mentioned several times recently that "even after the primary ends, the situation will not be over." This seems to reflect his awareness of former Prosecutor General Yoon’s difficulties amid various allegations. However, the campaign cautions against overinterpretation, stating, "It means we will do our best for regime change even after the primary."

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