"2030 Acknowledge It" vs "The Power of the Elderly Is Leaving" Will People Power's 'Generational Conflict' Become a Reality?

Yoon Seok-yeol and Hong Jun-pyo Supporters' 'Generational Conflict' Surfaces
Some People Power Party 2030 Members Fiercely Criticize as 'Old-fashioned Power'

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is holding up a hand placard that reads 'Youth, the Beginning of the Future' together with attendees at the 5th Korea Youth Day ceremony held on the afternoon of the 6th at the Peace Plaza in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "What do young people know about politics?" "We have the right to vote, and we also think carefully before choosing."

Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party who ran as a presidential candidate, has refused to participate in the campaign team, stating that he has no intention of joining a corruption-suspected presidential election led by the prosecution for the first time in history. Meanwhile, supporters of Hong in their 20s and 30s are harshly criticizing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who was selected as the presidential candidate, saying they cannot accept him. This has raised concerns that generational conflicts surrounding the People Power Party may be surfacing.

On the 7th, conflicts arose over the primary election results on the People Power Party's website bulletin board and online communities. Some party members in their 20s and 30s expressed anger by disparaging the People Power Party as the "Party of the Elderly" and the "Party of Old Customs" after Yoon's selection as the candidate.

One writer said, "You vested interest politicians and the 60s and 70s generation kicked away the new wind of the 2030 generation," adding, "You mock (support for Hong) as a reverse vote by the Democratic Party and label us as 'Democratic Party spies.' How can we become a 'one team' with those supporters?" He strongly criticized, saying, "If you don't like the temple, the monk should leave."

Another supporter of Hong said, "I joined the party for candidate Hong because regime change is urgent," adding, "Think about why the 2030 generation is turning their backs and leaving the party. It will be difficult to win the hearts of the 20s and 30s generation again, and this will be my last post before I also leave the party," expressing frustration.

Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, is giving a greeting after the announcement of the vote count results at the 2nd Party Convention held at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 5th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, on the 7th, Hong posted on his Facebook that his role in this presidential election ended with making the party primary exciting.

Hong announced his future plan to create a platform called "Youth's Dream" for the 2040 generation who enthusiastically supported him, and to spend the rest of his political life sharing dreams and hopes with the young and middle-aged people of this land with leisure and romance. He emphasized that when the membership reaches 3 million, it will become the youth power that moves the country, and he looks forward to meeting people at "Youth's Dream."

On the other hand, there is considerable backlash from the 60s and 70s generation. They generally show an attitude that the younger generation should accept the results cleanly, saying, "This is the result of a fair primary, yet they refuse to accept it." Criticism of Hong, who effectively rejected the 'one team' concept, continues.

A People Power Party supporter in his 60s, Mr. Kim, said, "Didn't he come out as a presidential candidate through a legitimate process?" adding, "Of course, if the candidate you supported loses, you might be a little angry, and that's understandable." He continued, "But the voting is over, and once Yoon Seok-youl is decided, shouldn't we support him? That's politics."

Another man in his late 40s, Mr. Park, said, "I understand the feelings of the youth," but added, "We need to unite as one to confront the Democratic Party, so I hope they accept it."

On the surface, it appears that Hong is supported mainly by the 20s to 40s age group, while Yoon is supported by the 50s, 60s, and 70s generations. Given this situation, some believe that resolving this 'generational conflict' is the most urgent task for the People Power Party.

Meanwhile, amid harsh criticism from the 20s and 30s generation, Yoon expressed his gratitude to Hong on his social media on the same day. He said, "Even while busy with initial schedules such as meetings with merchants, youth, and Representative Lee Jun-seok after the party convention, I couldn't stop thinking about the convention," emphasizing, "It is thanks to the one-team spirit shown by senior Hong Joon-pyo and the other two candidates for the great cause of regime change."

He added, "Senior Hong Joon-pyo's brief message moved my heart," saying, "It shone much brighter than my acceptance speech. The gracious farewell message with wonderful wit and the elder brother-like smile shown to the people and party members will be unforgettable for a long time."

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