[Reporter’s Notebook] People Power Party Leadership Election Becomes a Public Concern

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"Woo~~." At the joint speech event for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam held on the 10th during the People Power Party's leadership election, party members openly jeered candidates they did not support. Due to the tense atmosphere, the moderator, with an awkward voice, requested restraint by saying, "Please only applaud and cheer for the candidates."

The candidates, who have been engaged in fierce battles so far, bear much responsibility for the overheated situation. The controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's text messages became a major political issue, dominating the leadership election. Candidate Won Hee-ryong accused candidate Han Dong-hoon of ‘deliberately losing the general election’ and insulted him as a ‘liar who cannot distinguish between public and private matters.’ In response, candidate Han retorted with harsh criticism, calling it ‘dirty slander politics, like urinating in public and fleeing.’ This leadership election recalls the presidential election debate. The ‘RE100’ controversy during the debate escalated into an emotional fight among candidates, turning the election into a political battle rather than a policy contest.

If the mudslinging had attracted attention and led to a successful event, it might have had some effect. However, this leadership election has no convention effect at all. It is simply not entertaining. During the leadership election last March, which was full of controversies such as the ‘first-term lawmakers’ joint petition’ to block Na Kyung-won’s candidacy, the People Power Party’s party support rating in the third week of February was 45.0% (Realmeter poll, February 13?17, 2023, 97% mobile, 3% landline, automated phone survey). However, in the first week of July, the People Power Party’s rating dropped to 36.0%, trailing the Democratic Party of Korea’s 38.2% within the margin of error. This Realmeter poll was conducted on July 4?5 using randomly selected numbers from 97% mobile and 3% landline automated response surveys. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

However, the political battles among candidates in the current People Power Party leadership election fail to present hopeful alternatives to both party members and the public. The more one looks into their debates, the more one wonders why they even ran in this election. What mindset leads candidates to focus solely on criticizing their opponents? If they have come this far driven by political ambition for future power, as the ruling party, they should persuade party members and the public through policy debates. Instead, the current leadership election is filled with mutual slander. Meaningless disputes overshadow substantive policy discussions. Choi Hyung-doo, the ruling party’s floor whip on the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, pleaded at the floor strategy meeting on the 12th, "I earnestly hope that the four candidates will lend their strength to the floor, which is working overnight to overcome numerical inferiority and counter the opposition’s offensives."

The only way for the ruling party, which suffered its worst defeat with 108 seats, to survive is through public support. The Democratic Party of Korea is mobilizing its entire floor to target President Yoon Seok-youl on every issue and create impeachment sentiment. This is because they hope for an early presidential election due to former leader Lee Jae-myung’s judicial risks. In response, the ruling party must devote all efforts to gaining public support, whether through legislation, budget, or national agenda. They must focus on persuading the public why the ruling party is necessary and why the government’s initiatives are beneficial. Otherwise, the opportunity for a minority ruling party to win may never come again.

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