With 55.1% 'Record High' Voter Turnout in the National Assembly Election... Party Leadership Candidates Engage in 'Withdrawal' Dispute

10% Higher Voter Turnout Than 2021 Party Convention
Followed by Complaints and Investigation Requests... Results to Be Announced at the Convention on the 8th

With the final voter turnout of the People Power Party's 3rd party convention reaching a record-breaking 55.10%, party leadership candidates continued their heated exchanges on the 7th over allegations of presidential office interference in party affairs.

According to the People Power Party, as of 6 p.m. that day, combining ARS voting and mobile voting conducted on the 4th and 5th, a total of 461,313 out of 837,236 eligible voters cast their ballots, resulting in a final turnout rate of 55.10%.

This party convention, which elects the party leader, supreme council members, and youth supreme council member, held mobile voting on the 4th and 5th, followed by ARS voting for those who could not participate via mobile. The cumulative turnout rate after mobile voting ended on the 5th was 47.51%, with 7.59% of the total electorate participating in ARS voting over the two days of the 6th and 7th.

The turnout for this convention was about 10 percentage points higher than the 45.36% final member turnout in the 2021 party convention, marking a record-breaking level of engagement. The results for one party leader, four supreme council members, and one youth supreme council member will be announced on the 8th at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where the convention is held. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff vote between the top two candidates will be held, and the party leader will be confirmed on the 12th.

Ahn Cheol-soo (from left), Hwang Kyo-ahn, Kim Ki-hyun, and Chun Ha-ram, candidates for the party leader of the People Power Party, are holding hands and greeting at the 3rd Party Convention Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Joint Speech Meeting held at Goyang Gymnasium in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 2nd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Heated Debate Among Party Leadership Candidates Over 'Presidential Office Administrative Officer Interference Allegations'

Even on the day before the party convention, leadership candidates exchanged fierce arguments. Candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Hwang Kyo-ahn held a joint press conference at the National Assembly communication office, urging candidate Kim Ki-hyun to withdraw. They cited concerns that the party could fall into crisis due to Kim’s real estate speculation allegations and the presidential office administrative officer’s interference in the party convention.

Candidate Ahn said, "This is the final ultimatum. Withdraw immediately today," adding, "If you do not withdraw, we will fight together with all the evidence regarding the illegal election activities and the presidential office administrative officer’s interference in this party convention." Candidate Hwang added, "Despite being the main figure in the Ulsan land speculation allegations, candidate Kim has consistently responded with false excuses and evasion. Kim has already lost the qualification to represent the People Power Party." When asked after the press conference whether he would accept the results if candidate Kim were elected, Ahn replied, "I will decide after the investigation results come out."

Reports and requests for investigations related to these allegations also continued. On the 2nd, candidate Kim requested an investigation by the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters regarding the Ulsan land allegations. On the same day, candidate Ahn’s camp filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against Kang Seung-gyu, the presidential office’s senior administrative officer for civil society, over allegations of interference in the party convention election.

In response to the two candidates’ press conference, candidate Kim’s camp countered, calling it "refusal to accept the primary results" and "internal sabotage." Chief spokesperson Kim Si-gwan stated in a commentary, "This is a shocking statement that is practically a declaration of refusal to accept the primary results," adding, "'Party crusher' Ahn and Hwang, who suffered the worst defeat in a conservative party, have joined forces again to divide the People Power Party and push it toward a crushing defeat in the general election. One million party members are on alert. Stop the internal sabotage immediately."

Another party leadership candidate, Chun Ha-ram, posted on Facebook that day, "While I sympathize with the intentions of the two candidates, we must remain calm," and stated, "The presidential office senior administrative officer’s election interference and candidate Kim Ki-hyun’s issues must be clearly pointed out, but we must not go toward refusing the party convention results or resorting to radical struggles."

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