Former People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, running as an independent in the parliamentary by-election for Busan's Buk-gu A district, is intensifying his efforts to consolidate conservative support by successively recruiting figures from the PPP. As Han competes closely with PPP candidate Park Min-sik for the No. 2 spot in the polls, the back-to-back additions of heavyweight figures are being seen as a strategic move to capture both campaign momentum and public attention.
According to political sources on Wednesday, former PPP lawmaker Chung Mi-kyung, who served two terms representing Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, has joined Han's campaign. Chung is expected to stay in Busan and play a role in drawing support from local religious and political circles. She has reportedly secured a residence in Busan for this purpose.
Chung served as a supreme council member in 2021 when Lee Jun-seok, now leader of the Reform Party, was chairing the PPP. She has recently been active as a conservative commentator, appearing on various current affairs programs.
The previous day, former Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo left the PPP and agreed to take on the role of honorary chair of Han's campaign committee. Suh is a conservative heavyweight who served five terms in the National Assembly representing Busan districts across the 16th through 19th and 21st assemblies, and served as the 36th mayor of Busan.
Han has also appointed Chung Hyung-keun, a three-term former lawmaker of the Grand National Party (a predecessor of the PPP) representing Busan's Buk-gu, as chair of his support group. He additionally recruited Cho Seong-ho, former head of Busan's Administrative Affairs Bureau, and Son Sang-yong, former vice chair of the Busan Metropolitan Council, as co-chairs of his election committee.
Han appears to be trying to offset his weakness of having no personal ties to Busan by recruiting figures with strong local roots. The successive defections of conservative figures are also fueling a growing sense of crisis within the PPP. With Park entering the race later than Han, there are concerns that even the traditional conservative base could be shaken.
Meanwhile, the campaign office opening ceremonies for Han and Park are scheduled to be held at the same time on the 10th. Pro-Han lawmakers were initially expected to attend Han's ceremony, but they have reportedly decided not to participate amid concerns that it could serve as grounds for accusations of "anti-party conduct."
