Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo was elected as the People Power Party candidate for the 21st presidential election on the 3rd.
The People Power Party announced that it elected Kim Moon-soo as the candidate for the 21st presidential election at the 5th national convention held in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on the same day.
This was the result of a runoff against candidate Han Dong-hoon, calculated from a combination of 50% party member votes and 50% public opinion polls. The voter turnout for the final member vote conducted on the 1st and 2nd was 52.62% (402,481 out of 764,853).
As a result of combining the 'party member votes' and 'general public opinion polls' at 50% each, the final vote percentages were 56.53% for the candidate Kim Moon-soo and 43.47% for the candidate Han Dong-hoon.
Candidate Kim is regarded as a symbolic figure of the 'anti-impeachment faction,' leading the consolidation of the hardline conservative base to emerge as the final winner.
Political commentator Choi Soo-young noted, 'If the voter turnout had exceeded 60%, there may have been a chance for one candidate, but judging from the turnout in the low 50% range, it seems to follow the trend and flow of the conservative mainstream.'
He also analyzed, 'Expectations regarding the unification with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the stability that candidate Kim demonstrated, along with the fact that votes supporting former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo moved significantly to Kim, seem to be factors for victory.'
◇ Is Lee Jae-myung's guilty verdict appeal decision igniting the hardline conservative consolidation?
In the political realm, there is analysis that Kim's victory was significantly influenced by the Supreme Court's decision on the 1st to overturn the acquittal of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung on charges of violating election laws.
The Supreme Court acknowledged the charges of false declaration against Candidate Lee in the election law violation case, overturning the previous not guilty ruling. This is likely to deal a blow to the Democratic Party's presidential race.
Within the People Power Party, there were voices welcoming the notion that 'judicial justice has been realized.' This atmosphere seemed to curb the 'Lee Jae-myung is inevitably going to be president' scenario, consolidating support from the hardline conservative base, ultimately working in favor of candidate Kim.
In particular, as support declarations from senior party members like Na Kyung-won followed, the support from the voters of former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo who dropped out of the primary played a role in securing the party's sentiment. Additionally, the potential for unification with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo being greater than that with candidate Han Dong-hoon is also cited as a factor influencing the party's sentiment.
Candidate Kim, born in 1951 in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, emerged as a strong labor activist who began his career as a laborer in a clothing factory in Cheonggyecheon during the 1970s and 1980s, serving as the head of the Hanil Dorco union and as the administrative director of the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Association, having been imprisoned twice.
Later, he shifted his political stance to the conservative camp in the mid-1990s (New Korea Party, the predecessor of the current People Power Party) and served in various prominent positions including as a member of the National Assembly for the 15th, 16th, and 17th terms, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province for the 32nd and 33rd terms, Minister of Employment and Labor, and Chairperson of the Economic, Social and Labor Committee. He made a striking transition from labor activist to conservative politician and has since gained attention for his hardline conservative stance.
Candidate Kim emphasizes his identity as a 'integrated politician,' stating, 'I have lived fiercely across left, right, and center.'
◇ Will the 'anti-Lee Jae-myung big tent' succeed? The challenge of absorbing the centrist electorate.
Candidate Kim is the one with the greatest potential to form a big tent through unification with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Many in the political realm believe that Kim's victory was significantly influenced by the so-called 'Han Duck-soo effect.' This means that the support base that believes Kim is fit for president, combined with those hoping for former Prime Minister Han to become the final candidate, contributed to today's outcome.
In fact, candidate Kim has shown the most proactive approach toward unification with candidate Han Duck-soo. He has mentioned the 'Roh Moo-hyun and Chung Mong-joon' style of opinion poll primaries as a method for unification. It has been reported that he has left open the possibility of conceding the People Power Party presidential candidate position to former Prime Minister Han through means such as 'negotiation between candidates' and 'support.' However, recently, there have been rising voices within Kim's camp insisting that he should run.
Even if he succeeds in unifying with candidate Han Duck-soo, expanding towards the center remains another challenge. Having come this far with strong support from pro-Yoon (supporters of former President Yoon Seok-youl) and hardline conservatives, candidate Kim will need new figures to join the big tent in order to absorb centrist support.
However, given the relatively high probability that Lee Jun-seok, the candidate from the Reform Party, who appeals to centrist interests, will not participate in the big tent unification, it seems to be a challenging path. In particular, to win over the centrist votes, establishing a relationship with former President Yoon Seok-youl is also crucial; the potential backlash from existing supporters may arise if he distances himself from Yoon.
Political commentator Park Sang-byeong predicted, 'Until the unification negotiations, party sentiment is significant, so it appears that after finalizing the unification with former Prime Minister Han and becoming the final candidate, he will actively seek to expand towards the center.'
Commentator Choi Soo-young remarked, 'To soften the 'hardline image' of Kim Moon-soo, a so-called 'grand tent' is necessary,' adding, 'Both the party and the candidate must fully open up toward the center and express their intentions actively.'
The deadline for registering presidential candidates is May 11. There are points being raised that considering the expense and time for preparing campaign materials and vehicles, a unification should realistically occur before the 7th.
Presidential candidates are granted priority in party affairs. From the day of being selected as the presidential candidate on the 3rd until the presidential election day on June 3rd, the gist is that they will have 'priority over all authority regarding party affairs for the efficient promotion of election tasks.' If candidate Kim makes a decision, a rapid unification could be possible.