With the 21st presidential election 46 days away, candidates from the People Power Party revealed their national visions and policy directions. In particular, they asserted that they are the right candidates to surpass Lee Jae-myung, the influential opposition candidate and former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
On the 18th, the People Power Party held a 'vision competition' for the presidential candidates at the ASSA Art Hall in Gangseo-gu.
Before the candidates' formal vision presentations, Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader, noted, “Not handing over state power to the forces of parliamentary dictatorship is the first step towards normalizing the state and a prerequisite for the leap and future of the Republic of Korea.” He requested, “If elected president, you must present a way to halt the misconduct of Lee Jae-myung’s faction. Show the greater hope and vision of the People Power Party's Republic of Korea compared to Lee Jae-myung’s.”
The pro-Yoon faction (supporting the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-youl) highlighted detaching from former President Yoon as the top priority for winning the election, emphasizing that they could defend against the opposition's 'insurrection party' framing. The anti-Yoon faction (opposing the impeachment of former President Yoon) proposed an ideological battle centered on 'defending the liberal democratic system' as a way to confront the former leader.
Han Dong-hoon emphasized, “At a critical time, we must prevent the most dangerous person in our country from becoming president and giving birth to a monstrous regime that undermines our achievements,” adding, “The person who can be free from martial law, who goes to the National Assembly before Lee Jae-myung and vows to stand with the people first, is me, Han Dong-hoon.”
Ahn Cheol-soo also stressed, “The candidate who can absorb the votes of the center, the candidate with a clean slate, and the candidate who understands the economy is the only one who can overpower Lee Jae-myung.”
Yoo Jeong-bok emphasized, “In this presidential election, the important thing is how to block Lee Jae-myung. We must not cling to former President Yoon Seok-youl. We can only win this election by adhering to the spirit of ‘send off Yoon and oust Lee Jae-myung.’” He also added, “I am the one free from crimes, various corruption, and lies while many parts of the former leader are under trial.”
Hong Joon-pyo highlighted his wealth of experience as an advantage while underlining the legal risks faced by the former leader.
He stated, “The end station of the Lee Jae-myung regime is a country of populism and bribery, the poorest country in South America, Venezuela,” and added, “I will appeal to the people for a world created by a well-prepared Hong Joon-pyo with rich experience and proven capability, compared to a defendant facing five trials with four prior offenses.” He emphasized that as soon as the primary ends, he will enter a tight race within the margin of error against this candidate, saying, “Only those who have run short-term elections can do well,” highlighting his experience from the 2017 presidential election.
Na Kyung-won emphasized, “We must prevent the Democratic Party's one-party dictatorship and Lee Jae-myung's one-man dictatorship. This election is a war for the system. It is a battle of whether we can protect the liberal democracy, rule of law, and market economy that created today's Republic of Korea.” He added, “I will fight the Democratic Party with overwhelming political power accumulated over five terms.” Lee Cheol-woo also stressed that “if a leader capable of defeating Lee Jae-myung emerges, the people will be persuaded” and claimed to be “someone who can protect the liberal democratic system.”
Kim Moon-soo highlighted Lee Jae-myung's legal risks, stating, “Corrupt politicians ruin the country,” and emphasized, “I have always stood on the side of the common people and the weak. I have lived a clean and honest life. Only I, an honest person without lies, can defeat Lee Jae-myung's deceit and corruption.”
Yang Hyang-ja, a candidate from the Democratic Party, remarked, “How will we capture the votes from Honam? The claim from the other seven candidates is an extension of the regime. However, if I run, it will lead to a new regime and a change of power,” adding, “We do not need a plan to block Lee Jae-myung.”