The main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea over the weekend welcomed the new leadership mostly comprised of figures supportive of former chairman Moon Jae-in, giving Moon a boost to his presidential bid and foretelling a scale-back to the progressive party’s image reform to the center.

Other potential presidential candidates of the party such as Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myeong, South Chungcheong Gov. Ahn Hee-jung, are instead likely to test the waters and seek for alternative forces to drum up their own support in or outside the Minjoo Party, observers said.

The incoming leadership led by fifth-termer Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who garnered a whopping 54 percent of the votes, is likely to set the tone for the Minjoo Party’s critically wishy-washy policy platforms, to draw the line clearer against the conservative ruling Saenuri Party.

Her leadership is also expected to scale down the image reshuffle led by her predecessor Rep. Kim Chong-in who have been trying to place the party more towards the center from progressive.

Some observers viewed the latest feat by the pro-Moon faction to pave the stable ground for the party to assemble around a single, most convincing, candidate.

The opposition candidate is to go up against a ruling party rival to be championed by the Saenuri’s new leadership under Rep. Lee Jung-hyun with a strong allegiance to President Park Geun-hye and her airtight supporters. Among the presidential hopefuls dubbed to represent the Saenuri Party include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

But others suggested Moon’s renewed grip may further bring down the Minjoo Party’s struggling attempt to refresh its underdog image by capturing the attention of the moderates.

Of the eight Supreme Council members, picked along with the party chairwoman, six of them are considered to be loyal to Moon. They include Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, a former Samsung Electronics executive, who joined the party upon Moon’s persuasion. She earned almost half the votes.

The eight each represent regions sectioned into Seoul/Jeju, Gyeonggi/Incheon, Gangwon/Chungcheon, Jeolla and Gyeongsang, as well as target constituent groups including seniors, women and youths.

They will be joining floor leader Rep. Woo Sang-ho as the party’s first official leadership upon the April 13 general election. Woo is considered reformative unassociated with the Moon faction.

The party is set to elect two more members of the Supreme Council in October.

Members of the party’s reform committee, meanwhile, saw disappointing records. Rep. Kim Sang-kon, who had headed the committee came at the bottom with 22.08 percent of the votes against Choo.

While former floor leader Rep. Lee Jong-kul, considered representative of the so-called non-mainstreamers against the pro-Moons, managed to become a runner-up.

Meanwhile, Choo has been pledging zero-tolerance against factional challenges against whoever becomes the party’s leading presidential hopeful. Choo has worked closely with Moon as a member of the Supreme Council members while he served as the party chairman.

Choo, in her acceptance speech, called out to each one of those considered as Moon’s rival that included Rep. Kim Boo-kyum, Park Won-soon, Ahn Hee-jung, Lee Jae-myeong and retired Minjoo member Sohn Hak-kyu.

“I will absolutely maintain a fair presidential primary. I urge all of you to join and create a clean, historic primary,” Choo said.

But critics suggested her dominance could egg on Moon’s rivals to seek alliances with alternative forces that may include those from the third-largest People’s Party comprised mostly of Minjoo Party defectors. They had left in intense factional feud surrounding Moon ahead of the parliamentary race.

Recently, Seoul Mayor Park reportedly held an informal meeting with former senior advisor Sohn Hak-kyu. Park visited Sohn residing in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, upon his political retirement after the failed presidential bid in 2012. While Sohn has repeatedly shunned such speculation, the former Gyeonggi governor is widely expected to rejoin politics ahead of next year’s presidential election.

On Saturday, People’s Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won shared drinks with Sohn and openly urged him to join his party.

Rep. Kim Chong-in, who served as the Minjoo Party’s interim leader through the parliamentary race, also hinted at his continued role in keeping the Moon forces in check, by saying “It is worrisome that the party is tilted towards one faction.”

Kim, formerly a key member of President Park Geun-hye’s presidential campaign strategists, has also been public about criticizing the Minjoo Party’s “outdated idealism” that he said has failed to woo the moderates.

Moon’s potential rivals, meanwhile, offered courteous reaction to Choo’s win.

“Now that we have found our direction, it is hoped that we can advance straight towards changing the era and the future along with the people,” Park Won-soon said.

In a telephone interview with a local media, Ahn Hee-jung congratulated Choo and other elected members, and said, “I hope that the Minjoo Party can create the new alternative for the Republic of Korea though unity and harmony.”

Seongnam City mayor Lee, for his part, said Choo’s win was widely expected and added that he believed the new chairwomen would do a good job.

Moon, meanwhile, posted on his Facebook page a message that read, “It is hoped that we can all join hands around the new leadership and step together towards changing the administration.”

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)