Responsible Party Members in Their 30s and 40s... Will They Change the Conservative Party?

Before Representative Lee's Inauguration, Around 20,000 Members
Increased to 140,000 in One Year
30s Responsible Members Expected to Soon Surpass 70s
Possibility of Mass Resignation if Disciplinary Action Confirmed
Concerns Over Becoming a Strong Supporter Faction

Lee Jun-seok, Leader of the People Power Party. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The number of responsible party members in their 20s and 30s within the People Power Party (PPP), which has steadily increased since last year, has surpassed that of those in their 40s. It is also predicted that the number of responsible party members in their 30s will soon overtake those aged 70 and above, who have been considered the mainstream within the party. As the generational distribution of conservative parties, once regarded as the exclusive domain of those aged 50 and older, structurally changes, there is growing interest in the potential impact on the future political landscape.

According to the current status of PPP party members as of the 14th, the number of responsible party members in their 20s and 30s stands at 62,807 and 77,376 respectively, surpassing the 121,342 members in their 40s. Considering that the total number of responsible party members in the PPP is 790,605 as of that date, the proportion of responsible party members in their 20s and 30s is 17.7%. This means that nearly one in five responsible party members belongs to the 2030 generation.

Unlike general party members, responsible party members in the PPP pay a small membership fee (1,000 KRW) and are granted the right to participate in internal party elections, such as voting for presidential candidates, thereby influencing party decisions.

The rapid increase of 2030 generation party members in a conservative party is quite unusual. In the past, conservative parties recruited young candidates during elections either as primary candidates or proportional representatives, but this was merely for show. The young candidates who came as representatives failed to produce visible results. However, since the election of 30-year-old Lee Jun-seok as party leader last year, membership among the 2030 generation began to rise. According to the PPP, before Lee’s inauguration, the number of 2030 generation party members was only about 20,000. A PPP official said, "Before Lee came, there were almost no 2030 generation party members." A senior party lawmaker commented, "This is absolutely crucial for our party’s expansion," and praised Lee highly.

Within the party, attention is focused on the prediction that the number of responsible party members in their 30s will soon surpass those in their 70s. An increase in responsible party members can be interpreted as a sign of greater enthusiasm and willingness to actively participate in the party. A PPP official explained, "As the age group gets older, most members are general members who can join without paying membership fees," adding, "On the other hand, younger people tend to pay to become responsible party members." He further explained, "Those who have joined online now are paying members."

However, there are also voices expressing concern about backlash. Since the PPP’s generational expansion has so far relied heavily on Lee’s personal charisma, there is a possibility that these members could become a hardline support base. Such a situation makes it difficult for the party to implement changes and innovations aimed at expanding its support base. Recent examples include the case where Supreme Council member Bae Hyun-jin received a barrage of text messages after a verbal dispute with Lee over the Innovation Committee, and the wave of resignations among 2030 generation party members following the failure of Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo to become the final candidate in the last presidential primary. In a recent interview with Asia Economy, Lee said about fandom politics, "It is inevitable that they form, but if you give them names like ‘Gaeddal’ (a derogatory term used for supporters of Lee Jae-myung), it becomes a problem," adding, "I have no intention of doing that."

Public opinion is also not entirely favorable toward the PPP’s generational expansion in terms of political development. This is because the 2030 generation, who left the traditionally progressive Democratic Party out of disappointment, has not been fully embraced and has focused heavily on gender issues, effectively surrounding only men. This is why the expansion is seen as a "half success."

Depending on the disciplinary measures taken by the Ethics Committee against Lee, there is a possibility of a mass resignation among the 2030 generation party members. Professor Park Sang-byeong of Inha University’s Graduate School of Political Studies analyzed, "Lee is trying to hold on based on his support, and internal disputes will continue," adding, "Eventually, it will lead to a power game round two."

Um Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, said, "From the PPP’s perspective, they have always been overwhelmingly defeated in votes from the 2030 generation, but in recent elections, they achieved a ‘50-50 vote’ for the first time in the history of conservative parties," calling this an achievement. He advised, "Policies on pensions, labor issues, and public reform should reflect the opinions of the 2030 generation and move toward policy discussions."

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