Seoul: The People Power Party (PPP) is experiencing significant internal discord as discussions over a potential merger between its presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok have ignited controversy over alleged power-sharing arrangements.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the conflict began when Lee's campaign asserted that a pro-Yoon figure from the PPP proposed party leadership to Lee in exchange for merging their candidacies. This claim prompted a swift response from former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who used Facebook to criticize the pro-Yoon faction, accusing them of mistakenly believing that the PPP is under the control of Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee.
The situation further deteriorated after lawmaker Na Kyung-won reproached Han for his passive role during the campaign, cautioning him against becoming "a Trojan horse for Lee Jae-myung," the Democratic Party's candidate. Despite the PPP's stated goal of achieving conservative unity to narrow the polling gap with Lee Jae-myung, the party finds itself mired in internal power disputes that detract from its voter outreach efforts.
In a decisive move, Lee Jun-seok has publicly rejected the idea of a merger. He announced on social media that he had stopped answering calls due to excessive discussions about political engineering, and reiterated his position in a press conference on May 21, declaring, "There will be no merger."
Kim Moon-soo, the PPP candidate, has been criticized for his passive approach in addressing the party's challenges. With the election hastened by the martial law crisis, attracting moderate voters should be paramount for the party. However, Kim's nonchalant response to questions about former President Yoon Suk Yeol's engagement with a controversial film about election fraud has further complicated the PPP's efforts to detach from Yoon, who has already departed from the party.
The unresolved "Yoon Suk Yeol risk" has hindered the PPP's attempts to expand its support base. With the election day approaching and the pool of undecided voters dwindling, the PPP struggles to gain traction. Gallup Korea reports an increase of 13 percentage points in support for Lee Jae-myung over the past month, while Kim Moon-soo's support has risen by just 2 points. Even a dramatic shift among undecided voters might not suffice for Kim to close the gap.
While Lee Jae-myung appeals to conservatives by featuring a taegeuk symbol on his sleeve, the PPP remains embroiled in internal conflicts. Kim's policy proposals, such as reducing the National Assembly by 10 percent, appointing an opposition-recommended special inspector, and prohibiting parachute appointments in public institutions, have the potential to attract public support. Nonetheless, these initiatives are overshadowed by the party's preoccupation with post-election leadership dynamics.
The PPP's assumption that it can woo moderate voters while maintaining pro-Yoon loyalties appears to be a critical miscalculation.