People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo finds himself in the political hot seat as South Korea barrels toward an early presidential election on June 3.
Kim's campaign has already lost ground in the polls, and disgraced former President Yoon Seok Yeol's membership of his party has emerged as a major liability.
According to a Korea Gallup poll released Friday, Kim trails the liberal Democratic Party of Korea’s candidate Lee Jae-myung by a wide margin nationwide — 51 percent to 29 percent.
Even in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, traditionally strongholds for conservatives, Kim holds only a narrow lead at 48 percent to Lee’s 34 percent, falling short of the 50 percent threshold.
Internal party strife over how to redefine ties with Yoon has erupted ahead of the first televised presidential debate on Sunday, and Kim is being pulled between competing demands from two opposing camps.
One side urges a clean break from Yoon to win over moderates, while Yoon loyalists insist that Kim avoid public debate over Yoon’s whereabouts and instead focus on rallying the conservative base.
In response to the growing rift, Kim Moon-soo on Thursday effectively left the decision to Yoon, saying, “The issue of former President Yoon leaving the party is a matter for him to decide.”
The People Power Party’s new interim leader, Rep. Kim Yong-tae, appointed by Kim, has taken the initiative to address Yoon's status within the party.
Kim said Friday morning that he would speak with Yoon that afternoon to ask him to leave the party. “This issue needs to be settled no later than this weekend, in my view,” he added during a radio interview with the state-run Korean Broadcasting System.
Kim said Thursday he would respectfully make the request to Yoon "for the sake of the party and victory in the presidential election" at his first press conference as the interim leader.
The faction calling for Kim Moon-soo to expel Yoon from the party has underscored that without such action, the party has slimmer chances of winning against Lee.
A KBS-commissioned poll conducted by Hankook Research released Friday found that 70 percent of respondents supported the People Power Party severing ties with Yoon through expulsion or his voluntary withdrawal. However, 21 percent opposed the idea, and 9 percent were undecided or did not respond.
Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae emphasized that the People Power Party “needs to broaden its appeal to moderate voters in order to win” the presidential election.
“I don’t think a polite suggestion for him to voluntarily leave is enough — he should be formally expelled or removed from the party in accordance with party rules,” Cho said Friday during his interview with local radio station CBS. “Only then will the public see that this party has finally come to its senses.”
Rep. Han Zee-a said Yoon should be expelled from the party, pointing out that the party has been trapped in a debate over Yoon’s exit or expulsion since the official presidential campaign commenced Monday.
“It shouldn't be Kim Yong-tae, the appointed interim leader, speaking out. It’s Kim Moon-soo, the candidate we elected, who needs to make a resolution, speak up and take action,” Han said during her interview with SBS radio.
Echoing that view, former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon urged candidate Kim to sever ties with Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee before the first televised debate.
"A determination from candidate Kim Moon-soo is needed before the presidential debate on May 18 in order to turn the situation around," Han Dong-hoon wrote in a Facebook post. “It’s not too late yet. But after that, it will be. I offer this candid advice to prevent the collapse of the conservative bloc."
However, the other side has claimed that Yoon's whereabouts should not be subject to public debate during presidential campaigning.
People Power Party chief spokesperson Rep. Shin Dong-uk said Friday, “It’s regrettable that the matter is being treated as a greater controversy than necessary," during a press briefing at the National Assembly. Shin added, “The former president is simply staying at his private residence and is not engaging in any particular political activity.”
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun also said Friday, “This is not an issue that should be discussed publicly."
"The debate over whether former President Yoon Suk Yeol should leave the party continues to overshadow urgent strategy planning, with the presidential election just around the corner."
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
