'Minshim' is Yoo Seung-min? Liu's 'No.1 in Public Opinion Polls' Faces Incoming Checks

Ryu Leads 8 Consecutive Weeks in Next Party Leader Suitability Poll
But Fails to Gain Ground Among Conservatives... "Democratic Party's Choice" Mocked
'Reverse Voting Prevention' and '100% Party Member Vote' Countermeasures Also Emerge

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yoonjin Kim] Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min is gaining attention in the next party leadership race as he performs well in opinion polls. Rival candidates mockingly claim that former lawmaker Yoo is supported not by the 'public sentiment' but by 'Democratic Party supporters,' while also warning that his internal party base, which will influence the party convention, is weak.

According to a party leader suitability survey conducted by Nextweek Research on November 11-12, commissioned by KBC Gwangju Broadcasting and UPI News, among 1,000 nationwide respondents aged 18 and older, former lawmaker Yoo ranked first with 36.8%, marking his eighth consecutive week at the top. He also attracted attention by gaining 44.5% support in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, known for its strong conservative backing. (For more details, refer to the Nextweek Research website)

However, there is a noticeable current within the party that does not welcome former lawmaker Yoo’s rising momentum. In particular, criticism is growing that the favorable poll results for Yoo are due to 'reverse voting.' The logic is that Yoo receives positive evaluations from opposition supporters because he has been critical of President Yoon Seok-youl and the government and ruling party’s actions.

Former People Power Party Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won mentioned on KBS Radio on the 18th that the polling agency being Gwangju Broadcasting should be considered, saying, "(Regarding Yoo) even when he claims the 'public sentiment' is on his side, a more detailed analysis is needed." Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won drew a line on YTN Radio on the 17th, stating, "Public sentiment that becomes not 'reverse voting' but the 'Democratic Party’s choice' is unacceptable," arguing that recent polls reflect the stance of Democratic Party supporters.

Poll results also confirm that the driving force behind Yoo’s strong performance is not the 'party sentiment' but forces critical of President Yoon and the ruling party. In the party leader suitability survey conducted by Nextweek Research on November 11-12, Yoo received overwhelming support from respondents who △supported Lee Jae-myung in the last presidential election (52.9%) △have progressive tendencies (52.9%) △negatively evaluate President Yoon’s job performance (53.4%). Among centrist respondents, Yoo also ranked first with 37.4%, more than double the votes of former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who came in second.

On the other hand, △respondents who supported President Yoon in the last presidential election △and those with conservative tendencies showed a close race within the margin of error between Yoo and Na. Furthermore, among respondents who positively evaluated President Yoon’s job performance, 30.2% voted for Na, while Yoo received only 8.7%, placing fifth behind lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ki-hyun, and Chung Jin-seok. Since the People Power Party reflects 70% party member votes and 30% general opinion polls in the party leader election, this is why there is skepticism about Yoo’s chances of winning despite his consecutive 'poll first-place' rankings.

The dominant analysis is that the calls by party leadership candidates to prevent 'reverse voting' are intended to check former lawmaker Yoo. On the 17th, lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun emphasized in an MBN interview that "(Almost) 100% of ruling party lawmakers agreed that a reverse voting prevention clause should be included," and earlier, lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun supported revising the party convention rules on YTN Radio, saying, "There has been ongoing controversy over whether it is appropriate for Democratic Party supporters to elect the People Power Party leader." Lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae proposed reflecting 100% party member votes in the party leader election, saying, "(Currently) Gaeddal (a nickname for Democratic Party supporters) have voting rights in selecting our leader."

Meanwhile, former lawmaker Yoo evaluated the poll results as reflecting favorable public sentiment toward him, saying, "I think it reflects the public’s demand to reform the conservative party." Appearing on MBC’s 'News Outside' on the 17th, Yoo said this and questioned, "In order to win the general election, which is more important: public sentiment or party sentiment?" He expressed opposition to revising the party convention rules, stating, "Party members also need to make strategic judgments now. If the party leader is distant from public sentiment, we could face a minority government for five years."

The People Power Party’s party convention is expected to be held in early February next year. So far, including former lawmaker Yoo, more than ten candidates are expected to run, including incumbent lawmakers Kim Ki-hyun, Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoon Sang-hyun, Cho Kyung-tae, and former lawmaker Na Kyung-won. The party’s Emergency Committee is expected to begin discussions on the election rules after the national audit at the end of this month and start full preparations after the December regular National Assembly session.

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