Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who are considered potential presidential candidates from the centrist conservative faction, both asserted on the 8th that the party's presidential primary rules need to better reflect public sentiment. This is interpreted as due to the increasing influence of the centrist vote as the share of general public opinion polls rises.
Former lawmaker Yoo urged the party's election management committee and leadership on that day to accept the "complete national primary". The aim is to select the People Power Party's presidential candidate based on 100% public sentiment. Yoo is noted as the candidate among the People Power Party's presidential hopefuls with the largest gap between public sentiment and party sentiment.
Yoo stated, "If we truly want to beat Lee Jae-myung, we need to present a candidate that the public wants."
He remarked, "Only a candidate who can defeat Lee Jae-myung from the center can bring victory in the presidential election," and added, "There are discussions about not being able to change the primary rules due to time constraints, but I question whether there is a real willingness to win the election."
Yoo referenced an instance when the primary rules for the 2022 party congress were changed to '100% party members' just four days prior, stating, "It was done to prevent Yoo Seung-min, who was overwhelmingly ahead in public sentiment, from becoming the party leader. At that time, it was peace, but now it's wartime. Then it was a party leader primary, and now it's a presidential candidate primary."
He continued, "Only a primary that follows public sentiment can create an impactful drama and bring victory," asserting that "the People Power Party must heed the voices of the people." He also questioned, "Why are we turning away from the path to victory and heading toward defeat?"
Earlier that morning, Ahn Cheol-soo, who was the first among key presidential candidates from the People Power Party to declare his candidacy, noted, "The Democratic Party has already selected its candidate, so the public may not be interested, but our party is currently uncertain about who will be the candidate, making the next two months very dynamic. It is essential to increase public participation from the current 5 to 5 ratio of public sentiment to party sentiment to an 8 to 2 ratio and to create something interesting through debates and other means."
However, there are predictions within the party that changes to the primary rules are unlikely. Due to a lack of time and concerns that changes in the rules could lead to allegations of an "unfair primary" based on candidates' advantages and disadvantages.