Incumbent 169 Assembly Members vs Opposition Assembly Members, Legal Experts, and Policy Triangular Alliance

People Who Move the Camp

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong and Jeon Jinyoung] Behind Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party and former Prosecutor General, stands a strong network of current and former lawmakers and legal professionals. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, who formed his election campaign committee earlier than Yoon, is receiving full support from the party, embracing all 169 party-affiliated members of the National Assembly.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and the election campaign committee chairpersons attended the Central Election Campaign Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th, shouting "Fighting" as they pledged victory in the presidential election. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

First, Lee Jae-myung's campaign committee has 12 co-chairpersons. They include former primary candidates Park Yong-jin, Kim Du-kwan, and Lee Kwang-jae; former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae; former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; and senior party lawmakers such as Kim Sang-hee, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, Kim Jin-pyo, and Lee Sang-min. To promote a one-team spirit, lawmaker Seol Hoon, who had strongly criticized Lee during the primaries, was also included. Additionally, lawmakers Byeon Jae-il and Woo Won-shik (supporting Lee Jae-myung), Hong Young-pyo (supporting Lee Nak-yon), and Kim Young-joo (supporting Chung Sye-kyun), who served as campaign committee heads for their respective camps, joined the committee. The permanent general campaign headquarters chief will be lawmaker Cho Jung-sik, a five-term member who served as the general campaign headquarters chief in Lee’s camp.

Lee is expected to leverage his extensive administrative experience as Governor of Gyeonggi Province to emphasize his image as a competent administrator, differentiating himself from Yoon. Accordingly, the campaign committee plans to focus on supporting the candidate’s policies and pledges, such as the development profit recapture system and disaster relief funds, to strengthen the power of the 'ruling party.' Lawmakers Song Ok-joo and Maeng Sung-kyu were jointly appointed to the Future Economy Committee.

Under the campaign committee, there are various committees responsible for specific policies. Lawmaker Hong serves as the chairperson of the National Vision Committee, with Shin Dong-geun and Kim Jong-min appointed as co-chairs. Lawmaker Nam In-soon heads the Care Welfare State Committee. The one-team policy approach continues. Lawmaker Park Kwang-on, a close aide of former party leader Lee, and Kim Young-myeon, former Blue House social secretary, jointly chair the New Welfare Committee, a key pledge of former leader Lee. Key positions within the campaign committee are held by the 'Lee Jae-myung faction,' who have supported Lee since before the primaries. Lawmaker Jung Sung-ho, known as the leader of the Lee Jae-myung faction, was appointed head of the general special advisory group. Lawmakers Kim Young-jin and Park Hong-geun serve as the situation room chief and secretary-general, respectively.

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Yoon’s 'people' can be broadly divided into three groups. First are the current lawmakers of the People Power Party actively working at the forefront of the campaign. Led by Kwon Seong-dong, a four-term lawmaker and general situation room chief, co-campaign committee chairs Joo Ho-young (five-term) and Park Jin (four-term), along with lawmakers Kim Tae-ho and Ha Tae-kyung (three-term), contributed to strengthening organizational power. Proportional representation first-term lawmaker Lee Yong served as Yoon’s chief of staff. Lawmaker Jang Je-won voluntarily resigned from the general situation room chief position due to his son’s issues but is known to continue supporting Yoon. Additionally, National Assembly Vice Speaker Chung Jin-suk, lawmakers Jung Jeong-sik, Yoo Sang-bum, and Yoon Sang-hyun, as well as former lawmakers Kim Kyung-jin, Park Min-sik, and Joo Kwang-deok, who are outside the National Assembly, support the campaign.

Yoon boasts a strong network within the legal community. Former Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor General Seok Dong-hyun served as the campaign’s special advisory group chief. Lawyers Son Kyung-sik (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 24) and Lee Wan-gyu (class 23) represent Yoon in lawsuits related to his in-laws. Former chief prosecutor Joo Jin-woo, who investigated the 'Ministry of Environment blacklist' case during the Moon Jae-in administration, also provides legal advice on current issues. Former Supreme Court Justice Ahn Dae-hee, former Prosecutor General Jung Sang-myung, and Yonsei University Law School professor Lee Cheol-woo are also recognized as advisors to Yoon. The policy expert group is broadly positioned. Former Prime Minister’s Office coordinator Lee Seok-jun oversees the policy team, with Seoul National University economics professor Kim So-young, a critic of the Moon administration’s income-led growth policy; former Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Sung-han and former Korea National Diplomatic Academy professor Shin Beom-chul in the foreign and security policy field; and former Blue House employment and welfare secretary Kim Hyun-sook leading the social welfare sector.

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