Internal Strife Deepens within South Korean Conservative Party Leadership

A fierce leadership struggle is unfolding within South Korea's conservative People Power Party (PPP), primarily between former party leader Han Dong-hoon and current chairman Jang Dong-hyuk. This internal strife has the potential to significantly impact the party's future. Han secured a parliamentary by-election victory in Busan in June and has since signaled his intention to return to the party fold. However, the current leadership, led by Jang, accuses Han of creating divisions within the party and contributing to the downfall of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the PPP. They strongly oppose his return. Han served as PPP leader from December 2023 to April 2024, and again from July to December 2024. During his tenure, he clashed with President Yoon, openly defying the president's declaration of martial law and failed self-coup in December 2024. Some PPP leaders believe Han's frequent confrontations with Yoon were responsible for the party's significant defeat in the April 2024 general elections, which saw the liberal bloc secure nearly a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Conversely, Han's supporters and some within the party argue that the PPP would have lost even more seats without Han's sensible critique of the administration. It is also pointed out that pro-Han legislators joining the liberal camp in voting for President Yoon's impeachment motion in December 2024 played a role. Han is currently seeking a foothold to re-enter the PPP and is working to build relationships with influential figures within the party. However, Jang categorically stated on July 21 that "Han's return to the PPP will not help in terms of party expansion, solidarity, and consolidation," maintaining his confrontational stance. Jang himself is facing criticism from within the party for not taking responsibility for the dismal results in the June local elections. Despite this, he is criticized for shutting out criticism and engaging in solo activities. Notably, regarding the issue where the Election Commission distributed fewer ballots than the number of registered voters, leading to some constituents being unable to vote, Jang insists on a complete re-run of the elections. This is not only infeasible but is also seen as pandering to far-right supporters who believe in election fraud conspiracies. However, Jang's leadership appears secure for the time being. Recent polls show the PPP's approval ratings rising to the 40 percent range in mid-July, suggesting that party members are temporarily coalescing to give their party a chance to stitch up differences and confront the liberal bloc on key issues like the Election Commission and prosecutorial reform. Many PPP lawmakers are now visiting Olympic Park to support Jang and his supporters. Furthermore, the lack of a viable alternative to shepherd the PPP makes Jang's position even more solid. Even if critics pressure Jang to step down and hold a national convention, he is likely to win again. Party member votes account for 70 percent of the chair vote tally, while performance in national polls is worth only 30 percent. While Han may be more popular with the general public, Jang holds a powerful grip on PPP voters. Information source: The Diplomat Indonesia