[Friday Story] Yoon Hong Daejeon Finale Today... Who Could Be Better Than Lee?

People Power Party Member Voting Rate Sets New Records Daily
Neck-and-Neck Until the End

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left) and People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The intense battle among the People Power Party (PPP) primary candidates has ended, and the lineup for the 20th presidential election is finally taking shape. The winner of the face-off between PPP lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo, backed by public sentiment, and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, supported by party loyalty, will be announced on the 5th. This presidential race will start as a four-way contest among the final PPP primary winner, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung, and People’s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo.

Initially, Yoon was expected to win the PPP primary comfortably. However, as the election campaign progressed, the contest gradually narrowed down to a head-to-head battle between Yoon and Hong.

When Yoon declared his presidential bid on June 29, emphasizing fairness and common sense, he stirred hopes for regime change and faced no rivals. He consistently ranked first in opposition candidate support polls. But complications began after he joined the party. Yoon decided to join on days when PPP leader Lee Jun-seok and other party officials were absent, and disputes over primary rules caused discord.

Repeated gaffes such as calling certain foods “contaminated,” claiming “120-hour workweeks,” and criticizing “unhealthy feminism” undermined his campaign. Throughout 16 debates combining preliminary and main primaries, he made rookie political mistakes. He sparked controversy by writing the Chinese character for “king (王)” on his palm during a televised debate, which was seen as superstitious. During a visit to Busan, he faced backlash for remarks that appeared to defend former President Chun Doo-hwan. His apology process, which included posting photos of his baby’s first grasp and giving treats to his pet dog on social media, further cooled public opinion.

While Yoon faltered, Hong, buoyed by support from men in their 20s, achieved a “golden cross” in opinion polls. Around the Chuseok holiday, some polls showed his support surpassing Yoon’s. This sudden surge sparked controversy over “reverse voting.” In fact, various polls showed that Democratic Party supporters favored Hong at significantly higher rates than other candidates.

However, although Hong is a “repeat candidate” who also ran in the 19th presidential election, he was repeatedly criticized by other candidates during debates for insufficient policy preparation. He proposed extreme policies such as reinstating the bar exam, reviving the death penalty, and implementing 100% university admissions through regular admissions. Hong was also not free from past controversial remarks.

Regardless of who is selected as the PPP presidential candidate, as the four-way presidential race officially begins, competition among the candidates is expected to intensify. Lee plans to visit Daegu, a conservative stronghold, emphasizing his roots in Andong, Gyeongbuk, to expand his appeal. Ahn, who was selected as the People’s Party presidential candidate through a party member vote the day before, held a press conference regarding the Daejang-dong development special favor allegations, marking his first official campaign event. Sim held a meeting to review the phased return to normal life (with COVID-19).

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