SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - A last-ditch effort by the ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) to replace its presidential nominee has ended in turmoil, exposing deep fractures within the party just ahead of the registration deadline.
The party leadership’s attempt to replace Kim Moon-soo, the candidate who won the party’s primary, with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo unraveled within 24 hours following fierce internal opposition and a narrow defeat in a party-wide vote. Kim is now expected to be officially registered as the party’s presidential candidate on Sunday.
The drama began on the night of May 9, when party leaders — frustrated by Kim’s refusal to unify candidacies ahead of the May 11 deadline — moved to strip him of his nominee status. Kim had proposed a public opinion poll between May 15 and 16 as a method for candidate unification, but the leadership rejected this idea.
In a series of emergency meetings held at midnight, the party’s interim leadership and Election Commission voted to revoke Kim’s candidacy and replace him with Han.
At 3:30 a.m. on May 10, Han formally joined the party as a full member and submitted his registration paperwork. By 4 a.m., he stood as the sole registered candidate, and Kim was effectively disqualified.
The party leadership, seeking legitimacy for the controversial move, held a vote of party members throughout the day on May 10. The vote lasted 11 hours, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In an emergency press conference, Kim denounced the leadership’s actions as illegal and anti-democratic.
“The party's leadership unlawfully stripped me of my candidacy, despite my legitimate selection by party members and the public,” he said.
He also filed for an injunction with the Seoul Southern District Court to halt the disqualification, telling the court that the party “revoked my nomination in the dead of night without informing me, and chose another candidate behind closed doors.”
The party’s interim leader, Kwon Young-se, defended the decision in a separate press conference, saying, “It was a painful but necessary step.” He accused Kim of repeatedly making “groundless accusations” that had sown division within the party.
Several figures who had competed in the primary, as well as some lawmakers expressed outrage.
Han Dong-hoon, a former justice minister who was defeated in the party primary, likened the move to autocratic behavior, saying, “Even North Korea wouldn’t do this.”
Veteran lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo launched a blistering attack on Kwon and PPP floor leader Kwon Seong-dong. Another candidate, Ahn Cheol-soo, called the situation a “political farce,” while lawmaker Na Kyung-won wrote on social media, “This is not the PPP I know.”
At 7 p.m., the two camps attempted another round of negotiations. Kim’s side proposed a compromise involving a 100-percent public opinion poll, with limited safeguards against strategic voting. Han’s team, however, insisted on a full party vote using the K-Voting system, a digital voting mechanism. The talks collapsed after just 40 minutes.
By 11 p.m., the party’s interim leadership announced the results of the vote: a narrow majority of party members opposed the candidate replacement. Kim’s candidacy was reinstated.
In a final act of contrition, the interim leader Kwon offered his resignation. “It is deeply regrettable that unification was not achieved,” he said. “That failure is mine alone. I take full responsibility and will step down.”
Kim is now expected to formally register his candidacy with the National Election Commission on Sunday.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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