Pro-Chinmoon Groups Support Yoon, Hong Joon-pyo Camp Members Shift to Lee... Presidential Race Breaks Partisan Logic

'Protecting Joguk' Leading Group Declares Support for Yoon in Seocho-dong
Pyo Cheol-soo, Who Helped Hong in Primaries, Joins the Ruling Party's Election Committee
Election Strategies Differ Due to Votes Beyond Jin-young's Influence

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, is attending the 'Conservative and Progressive Camp Integration Yoon Seok-yeol Candidate Support Declaration' held on the 1st in front of the west gate of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and is conversing with Lee Min-gu, the representative of the Awake Citizens Solidarity Party. / Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] This presidential election is characterized by a large number of undecided voters. Contrary to expectations that core support groups would consolidate toward the end of the election, there is a noticeable trend of voters leaving their camps. It is not uncommon for supporters of specific parties to withdraw their support for their candidates or switch to supporting candidates from opposing parties. As the risks surrounding leading candidates continue, leading to the election being labeled a 'disliked election,' voters' choices are showing patterns different from traditional political norms.

The Awake Citizens Solidarity Party (Kkaesiyon), known for its pro-Moon Jae-in stance, held a 'Conservative and Progressive Camp Integration' rally on the 1st in front of the west gate of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, declaring support for Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate. After paying respects at the National Cemetery and campaigning in Dongjak-gu and Sinchon, Yoon immediately moved to Seocho to attend the rally. Kkaesiyon is the group that led the 'Protect Cho Kuk' rally in Seocho-dong in 2019 in protest against the investigation of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. This marks a complete reversal of their position, as they declared support for Yoon, who was then the Prosecutor General and was being checked and criticized at that location.

Lee Min-gu, leader of Kkaesiyon, said, "Today is a historic day. It is the day we declare independence from camps," adding, "Our Moon faction owes a debt to candidate Yoon. We will repay that debt today. We hope a new world, Yoon Seok-yeol's world, will open with the harmony of left and right." Yoon responded, "Your sincere support is a great strength in achieving true national unity and national development."

Earlier, Jeong Un-hyeon, former Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and close aide to Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party's general election committee chairman, also declared support for Yoon. In a Facebook post, Jeong said, "I find it hard to understand the behavior of supporting candidate Lee Jae-myung, who has fatal flaws as a leader," and added, "If anyone insists that 'supporting Lee Jae-myung is good and supporting Yoon Seok-yeol is evil,' this is precisely a vulgar camp logic that deserves criticism."

Supporter defections have also appeared within the People Power Party. Former Vice Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission Pyo Cheol-soo and some others who supported Assemblyman Hong Joon-pyo during the primary switched to supporting candidate Lee. They said, "The camp logic of conservatives and progressives means nothing to us," and "We choose and support candidate Lee, who resembles 'Park Chung-hee's drive and Hong Joon-pyo's resolute words and actions.'" Additionally, former Vice Chairman Pyo joined the Democratic Party's election committee as head of the media innovation special advisory group to assist with the campaign.

The lack of consolidation and the defection of support groups until the final stages of the election seem closely related to the large number of undecided voters in this election. The various suspicions and controversies surrounding leading candidates are evaluated to have led to the defection of traditional support groups. Each party is actively using this trend in their campaign strategies. Candidate Yoon played the 'Gwangju Complex Shopping Mall' card to win over the Honam region, a Democratic Party stronghold, while candidate Lee mentioned former President Park Chung-hee several times during the campaign to gain conservative votes.

Experts analyzed that disappointment with the candidates is the biggest cause of support group defections. Lee Jun-han from the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "In the past, before President Lee Myung-bak's election, there were conflicts with pro-Park factions, but they did not withdraw their support. The current organized departure from camps is an unprecedented phenomenon," adding, "Regardless of party affiliation, there seems to be a trend of not recognizing those they did not support."

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