In the final 3rd primary threshold to determine the next presidential candidate of the People Power Party, candidates Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo both failed to advance, marking a setback for their presidential ambitions. This was their third and fourth attempts, respectively.
The results of this primary are expected to act as a significant crossroads in the political lives of both candidates. Hong, who had stepped down from his position as mayor of Daegu to challenge for the presidency, announced his retirement from politics as soon as the results were announced and expressed his intention to leave the party. Ahn stated that he would support the People Power Party's victory in the presidential election.
On the 29th, the People Power Party announced that it selected Kim Moon-soo and Han Dong-hoon as the final two candidates based on a combination of party member voting and public opinion surveys conducted over two days from the 27th to the 28th, each accounting for 50%.
Candidate Hong Joon-pyo, who had been eliminated, held a press conference at his election camp in Yeouido, Seoul, after the results were announced and said, "Today, I graduated early," adding, "I want to now return to being a citizen of Seoul, stepping down from all my responsibilities. My role in this presidential election ends here."
He continued, "I bow my head in gratitude to the citizens who have taken care of me over the past 30 years in politics, and to my party comrades. I hope to meet you freely on the streets and in markets now."
Hong indicated multiple times during the primary process that he would retire from politics if he was eliminated. In interviews, he stated, "If I fail to win the hearts of the people again, and there are no opportunities to manage the country, I should graduate. I am thinking of graduating now."
Ahn's fourth presidential challenge ended in failure, as he could not overcome the limitations of his weak support base within the party. He attempted to unify with the Democratic Party's Moon Jae-in in 2012 while running as an independent but stepped back midway. In 2017, he ran as a candidate for the People's Party and finished third with a 21.41% vote share. In the 2022 presidential election, he unified with then-candidate Yoon Seok-youl.
After the results were announced, Ahn emphasized, "Our country is truly in a critical crisis right now," adding, "The People Power Party must work harder to overcome this crisis. Whoever becomes the final candidate, I will dedicate my efforts to prevent a regime change to Lee Jae-myung." There are views within the party that it may not be easy for Ahn, who has no distinct faction, to challenge for party leadership.
Meanwhile, the political world is keenly watching whom candidates Hong Joon-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo will support. The Kim Moon-soo camp expects support from Hong, while the Han Dong-hoon camp anticipates backing from Ahn. During the primaries, Hong Joon-pyo and Kim Moon-soo were classified as 'anti-impeachment faction,' while Ahn Cheol-soo and Han Dong-hoon were categorized as 'pro-impeachment faction.' Accordingly, each camp anticipates that the endorsement from the eliminated candidates will influence the outcome of the runoff vote.
In fact, key figures from the Hong Joon-pyo camp, including lawmakers Yoo Sang-bum, Kim Dae-sik, Baek Jong-hun, and Kim Wi-sang, as well as Lee Young-soo, chairman of the New Future Preparation Meeting, and former lawmaker Kim Sun-dong, have indicated plans to declare their support for Kim Moon-soo on the 30th.