Political circles scramble to prepare for possible early presidential election

With the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol entering its final phase, the political community is quickly averting its focus on the possible early presidential election. While both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea are refraining from publicly mentioning the next presidential election, they appear to be rushing to prepare for the event. If the impeachment is upheld by the Constitutional Court, party primary and presidential elections must be held within 60 days.

At the Democratic Party, pro-Lee Jae-Myeong party members, known as the “Seven-member council,” met on Feb 19, right after the Lunar New Year, with Representative Lee in attendance and discussed their role in the early presidential election.

The ‘Parliamentary Democracy Forum Opening the Future,’ a study group led by Rep. Jeong Seong-ho and Kim Young-jin, members of the seven-member Council, held a seminar on the Constitution at the National Assembly on Feb 19. With rising demand for constitutional amendments within the party, mainly from non-members, some view that Lee may be pushing for constitutional amendments in the long term.

Lee also launched efforts to unify opposition candidates in preparation for an early presidential election. He held a launch ceremony for the ‘Roundtable to Civil War’ with the five opposition parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and the Social Democratic Party, announcing hopes to have “all forces that wish to protect the constitutional order join.” “The topic of presenting a united front would come quite naturally at this occasion. A communication channel with Lee is needed to prevent the unification of conservative candidates between the People Power Party candidate and Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party in the presidential election,” said a key aide to Lee.

The People Power Party’s presidential candidates are quick to move as well. Minister Kim Moon-soo of Employment and Labor, who is ranked first among conservative presidential candidates in some opinion polls, gave a keynote speech at the ‘Great Labor Reform Debate’ hosted by People Power Party lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Woo Jae-jun on Feb 19, which 60 People Power Party lawmakers attended. Minister Kim proposed a labor agenda for the presidential election, saying, "The discussion on extending the retirement age must be executed in tandem with the wage system reform.”

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also visited Yeouido on this day and held a private meeting with party reporters. “If an early presidential election is held, (I) will be the only active member among the presidential candidates. I am preparing Plan B (of running for an early presidential election),” said lawmaker Ahn Chul-soo. Gyeongbuk Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, also mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, stressing the need to “devote all efforts into protecting President Yoon from an impeachment trial.”


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