Early Election Phase... Political Circles Take a Breather Over the Weekend

If Han Duck-soo Announces the Presidential Election Date at the Cabinet Meeting on the 8th,
Lee Jae-myung Expected to Resign as Party Leader... What About the 'Anti-Lee' Three Kims?
People Power Party to Discuss Formation of Election Committee at General Meeting on the 6th
With Over Ten Candidates, a Cutoff Process Seems Inevitable

The political sphere, which has entered an early presidential election phase following the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, seems to have taken a breather over the weekend.

The National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 4th, when the Constitutional Court decided to dismiss former President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Democratic Party of Korea on the 5th, Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, is expected to resign from his position immediately after Han Duck-soo, the acting president, announces the date of the next presidential election at the Cabinet meeting on the 8th. The day before, the Democratic Party leadership reportedly held a closed supreme council meeting to discuss the timing of Lee’s resignation.

On this weekend, with no official schedule, it is expected that they will calmly continue planning for the early presidential election.

The Democratic Party plans to switch its leadership to an acting system immediately upon Lee’s resignation and launch an election management committee. After Lee steps down as party leader, Park Chan-dae, the floor leader, is expected to serve as acting party leader, form the presidential election leadership, and oversee the Democratic Party’s primary management.

The so-called '3 Kims' of the anti-Lee faction (Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Kim Boo-kyum, Prime Minister; and Kim Kyung-soo, former Governor of South Gyeongsang Province), who are mentioned as Lee’s rivals, are still deliberating their candidacies.

The National Innovation Party has proposed an open primary system involving the entire opposition (a fully national primary). However, within the party, there is also a view that it will be difficult to shake Lee Jae-myung’s dominant position during the primary process.

As for the People Power Party, its members have decided to spend the weekend listening to public sentiment. Rather than immediately switching to a presidential election mode right after the impeachment, they seem to be devising strategies to regain the public’s trust, which has turned away from the party.

On the afternoon of the 6th, a party meeting is expected to be held to discuss measures for managing the political situation, including full-scale presidential election discussions.

There is also a possibility that the emergency committee meeting, possibly held on the 7th, will approve the formation of the party’s election management committee. Once the emergency committee completes the formation of the election management committee and announces the registration of presidential candidates, the full-scale presidential election phase will begin.

Currently, the presidential candidates within the People Power Party include Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor; Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu; Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul; Han Dong-hoon, former party leader; Ahn Cheol-soo, member of the National Assembly; Yoo Seung-min, former member of the National Assembly; and Won Hee-ryong, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In addition, more than ten candidates have already expressed their intention to run, so a 'candidate preliminary screening (cutoff)' process may be necessary to narrow down the field.

The Reform New Party has already selected Lee Jun-seok, who declared his candidacy early, as their presidential candidate.

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