Opposition Begins Full-Scale Check on Lee Jae-myung... Primary Candidates Promote 'Open Primary'

Innovation Party: "Let's Hold the People's Sovereignty Arena 2025 Primary"
Anti-Lee Faction: "No Primary Just for Lee Jaemyung's Sake"

As the possibility of an early presidential election increases due to the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol, voices calling for the introduction of a 'complete national primary system (open primary)' for opposition party presidential candidate selection are growing within the opposition camp. The rationale is to achieve regime change by uniting the opposition through a primary system that involves all citizens. However, some interpret this as the opposition beginning to actively check Lee Jae-myung, the leading opposition presidential candidate and leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

On the 4th, Kim Seon-min, acting party leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, proposed the so-called 'People's Sovereignty Arena 2025' at a National Assembly press conference, which would involve all presidential candidates from all opposition parties. Kim stated, "It is a one-shot method where all presidential candidates from each party can participate without restrictions, and individuals recommended by civil society can also join as candidates." This is essentially a complete national primary system for the presidential election, conducted in stages with a first cut-off, a second primary, and a third runoff vote.

The complete national primary expands the right to select presidential candidates beyond party members to the general public. This allows citizens, not just party members, to directly elect the party's presidential candidate, contributing to the expansion of participatory democracy. On the other hand, it tends to weaken the influence of party members in the primary. The Joguk Innovation Party emphasized that to win an early presidential election, a new majority coalition must be formed to contest the election.

Jung Chun-saeng, senior deputy floor leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, told Asia Economy, "The open primary system means that anyone who wants to run as a candidate can do so, and we want to hold a national primary together." He added that this would give parties and civil society the opportunity to reflect presidential pledges and increase public trust and participation.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting supporters as he attends the continuation of the first trial related to the Daejang-dong breach of trust and Seongnam FC bribery case at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on March 4, 2025. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Some within the anti-Lee Jae-myung (Bi-Myung) faction also argued for the introduction of a complete national primary system for candidate selection. Yang Ki-dae, former lawmaker and secretary of the Choi-ilhoe, a group of former Bi-Myung faction lawmakers, wrote on social media, "Bi-Myung faction presidential candidates emphasize that the primary should not become a mere formality for Lee Jae-myung and that a fair primary rule acceptable to everyone must be established." He added, "The Democratic Party, which needs to expand its support base, is in a desperate situation where the early presidential primary must be dynamic and a venue for harmony and unity."

The reason why both the Joguk Innovation Party and the Bi-Myung faction are united in advocating for the introduction of a complete national primary system is interpreted as a strategic choice to expand negotiation leverage with Lee Jae-myung before the presidential election by making the election method a condition. In the case of the Joguk Innovation Party, since they have started behind-the-scenes talks with the Democratic Party to ease the requirements for forming a floor negotiation group, it is interpreted that they have brought up agreement on the primary method as a negotiation card. The Bi-Myung faction also sees this as a strategy to actively participate in the candidate selection process within the party to broaden their political influence starting with the presidential election. Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University said, "For Lee Jae-myung, once the presidential election phase begins, active support from the opposition camp is necessary," adding, "He will have no choice but to adopt a maximum cooperation mode with the Innovation Party and the Bi-Myung faction."

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