Choo Mi-ae won the leadership of the main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea in a sweeping victory Saturday, and is now expected to take a hard-line, more “left-leaning” approach in the lead-up to next year’s presidential race.

In an acceptance speech at the party’s national caucus in Seoul, she implied in her “strong opposition” analogy that she will take a more hawkish approach against President Park Geun-hye and the ruling Saenuri Party.

“I will consider each and every vote I got as a heaven-sent command to cure division (within the party), make a strong opposition by unification and win in a fair presidential race on July 20, 2017 by any means. I will serve by winning,” she said, after winning 54 percent approval to Rep. Lee Jong-kul’s 23.8 percent and Kim Sang-gon’s 22 percent to easily take the race.

She became the first female party leader and the first chief from the “TK” region, referring to Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, which has traditionally been a stronghold for Saenuri and President Park.

Choo defined division, defeatism and “old politics” as those that should be eradicated during her leadership.

The five-time lawmaker has been calling for party members to rally on key points of dispute. She has been endorsed by the party’s mainstream faction that stands behind former party leader Moon Jae-in and the late former president Roh Moo-hyun.

This includes on where the Minjoo Party stands on the upcoming deployment of the US’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system. The preceding Kim Chong-in leadership had publicly agreed with the deployment, with the outgoing leader going as far as saying that THAAD was “inevitable,” considering North Korea’s ballistic missile threats and the importance of the Seoul-Washington alliance.

But contrary to Kim’s overall neutral stance, Choo has vowed to make clear where the party stands on the THAAD issue. She backed her resolve by saying she will adopt rejection of THAAD as an official plank of the party platform.

Pundits say this makes the possibility of a coalition with minor opposition parties People’s Party of Korea and Justice Party more likely, as they are already publicly opposed to the government’s THAAD plans.

A Choo-led Minjoo Party is also expected to take a firmer approach on issues related to the investigation on the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014. While the government has decided to dissolve the Sewol Special Committee investigating the tragedy, the bereaved families of victims have been requesting an extension of its term and called for the Minjoo Party to work with them on revising the related law.

Choo has vowed she will extend the term of the committee to “unveil the truth that the Park administration has been struggling to hide.”

The fifth-termer has also pledged a different approach on economic reform than the Park administration, which includes reducing the wage gap between guaranteed and non-guaranteed contract workers and having corporations use their funds for job creation, supporting affiliated companies in exchange for tax benefits.

Speculation is growing that the 20th National Assembly may be muddled with confrontations as the Saenuri Party similarly selected Park loyalist Rep. Lee Jung-hyun as its new chairman.

The apparent dominance of the pro-Moon faction has sparked concerns that minor factions will be mostly ignored within the party.

Cho Guk, a professor at Seoul National University who supported Kim Sang-gon in the race, wrote via his Facebook account that “minor presidential candidates” such as Seoul Mayor Park Won-sun and South Chungnam Province Gov. Ahn Hee-jung may be discouraged from competing for the presidential candidacy.

Although both Choo and President Park were born in the city of Daegu, Choo’s family background contrasts drastically with that of Park’s. While Park’s father, Park Chung-hee, was the dictatorial leader of the country across the 1960s and 1970s, Choo’s father ran a local laundry shop.

Despite being a Daegu-native, Choo eventually became an “adopted daughter” of the largely Gwangju and Jeolla Province-based opposition block. She worked as a judge for the Gwangju High Court before iconic former president Kim Dae-jung led her to politics.

Choo became a key member of the opposition under the Kim and Roh administrations.

While considered part of the pro-Moon faction, Choo has somewhat of a complicated history with the Minjoo Party’s former leader.

Dating back to 2003, the lawmaker voted for the impeachment of then-president Roh. The liberal leader was Moon’s political ally and close friend, which remains one of the key rallying points for the opposition bloc.

The two have mended ties since then, with Choo making gestures like participating in Moon’s 2012 presidential bid.

Choo, who represents Gwangjin-gu of Seoul, has apologized for her involvement in Roh’s impeachment, calling it “the worst mistake” of her political career.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)