CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province — The main opposition People Power Party is set to hold a runoff vote to determine its next leader, as former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok emerged as the two finalists for the party’s leadership election Friday.
The party did not disclose individual rankings or vote shares, only announcing that Kim and Jang had secured the top two spots among four candidates. Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Cho Kyoung-tae were eliminated.
The first round of voting was held on Wednesday and Thursday, with the runoff scheduled for Sunday and Monday. After a televised debate on Saturday evening, the final result will be announced Tuesday.
Following the announcement, Kim warned against internal division and emphasized the need to rally against the ruling bloc under President Lee Jae Myung.
"The Lee Jae Myung dictatorship is pointing its sword at our throats," Kim said. "They raided our headquarters, trying to seize our party members list. They want to dissolve the People Power Party. In such grave times, can we afford to be divided?"
Kim had just returned to the convention after staging a nine-day sit-in protest against the special counsel’s investigation into Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, during which prosecutors attempted to obtain the party’s list of 5 million members that contains names, birthdates and addresses.
"I will not forget the passion of Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Cho Kyoung-tae, who called for innovation," added Kim.
Jang, 56, who has highlighted a generational gap with his 73-year-old rival, called on party members to choose a new path forward.
"Now, there is only one choice left," he said. "It’s a matter of choosing between outdated methods and new ways forward. Choosing Jang Dong-hyeok is choosing the future of the People Power Party."
Kim and Jang, who both opposed Yoon’s impeachment earlier this year, have consolidated support from pro-Yoon loyalists by emphasizing party unity and ideological consistency.
Their message stands in contrast to that of Ahn and Cho, who supported the impeachment and campaigned on internal reform and the need to distance the party from far-right figures associated with Yoon.
Kim, a former labor minister under Yoon, gained prominence late last year when he refused to apologize for Yoon’s controversial Dec. 3 martial law declaration. He has since positioned himself as a steadfast defender of the former president’s legacy. His image as an unyielding conservative was further cemented during his ultimately unsuccessful candidacy for the party in the June 3 presidential election.
Jang, a former judge and first-term lawmaker, began the year as a member of Kim’s presidential campaign team. But following the party’s election defeat and the leadership vacuum that followed, he launched his own bid, gradually gaining momentum as an alternative figure within the pro-Yoon bloc.
While both candidates broadly align with Yoon, they differ sharply in their stance toward former party leader Han Dong-hoon.
Jang has ruled out any reconciliation with Han, who distanced himself from Yoon after the president's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. Kim, by contrast, has signaled openness to Han’s return if it helps strengthen conservative unity.
The convention venue in Cheongju, a space that fits about 3,700 people, was packed with supporters waving red placards and chanting slogans. Red, the party’s symbolic color, engulfed the room.
The leadership election comes amid declining party support and growing internal rifts following the party’s convincing defeat in the June 3 presidential election.
In his opening remarks, People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Song Eon-seog called for unity while criticizing the Lee Jae Myung administration’s political maneuvers.
"Regardless of who wins, we must join hands and practice inclusive politics," Song said. "If we unite our strength, I firmly believe we can become a victorious opposition party."
The party also passed a revision to its charter aimed at curbing factional influence. The amendment prohibits presidential intervention in internal affairs such as nominations and elections, and restricts any individual or faction from undermining the party’s autonomy and democratic process.
Meanwhile, Jeon Han-gil, a celebrity lecturer and prominent far-right commentator, was absent from Friday's convention.
Jeon was recently reprimanded by the party’s ethics committee for inciting members to denounce lawmakers who supported Yoon’s impeachment during the Aug. 8 convention.
Alongside the leadership race, the party also elected four new members to its Supreme Council, including one youth representative.
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