Following its defeat in the June 3 nationwide local elections, accountability calls against People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk are spreading within the party, with competition for the conservative camp's next leadership igniting early. As former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who won the by-election for the Busan Buk-A National Assembly seat, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who secured a fifth term, simultaneously gain greater presence, observers predict fierce factional conflict from the very process of dealing with the local election defeat.
According to political circles on Sept. 4, incumbent lawmakers as well as winners of this election are publicly raising accountability claims against Chairman Jang. Rep. Ahn Sang-hoon, classified as pro-Han Dong-hoon, said, "The return to the legislature of former leader Han, who was absurdly expelled by the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership, and the victory of Mayor Oh, who kept his distance from the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership and defended Seoul, are the starting signal for the reconstruction of rational conservatism." He added, "Since public sentiment is the will of heaven, the party leadership must decide its course quickly."
Yoo Eui-dong, the PPP winner elected in the Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek-B by-election, also appeared on SBS Radio and pointed out, "We must coldly reflect on where in the metropolitan area public sentiment began to leave our party." He added, "We need to assess how far the direction pursued by the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership was removed from public sentiment."
Asked whether this meant Chairman Jang should consider his position, he said, "I think he will naturally consider it." He added, "If not, fellow lawmakers and party members will discuss it together."
Within the party, many cite both a leadership vacuum and nomination conflicts as causes of this defeat. They argue that after the martial law and impeachment political situation, clashes between the pro-Yoon faction and the non-mainstream and pro-Han factions continued for a long time, and that internal strife over nominations and election strategy was repeated during the local election process, leading to a failure to rally the support base. In fact, in some regions, candidates rejected central party support and set up independent election committees, exposing fractures between the central party and local organizations.
Chairman Jang, on the other hand, effectively drew a line against the resignation demands. While apologizing for the election defeat through Facebook that day, he said, "I will not turn away from the grave responsibility given to me, and together with party members I will find a new path for us to move forward." He further stressed, "Even in this election, where every situation was difficult, we kept the spark of hope alive." This is interpreted as effectively meaning he intends to maintain the current system. Chairman Jang also did not attend the PPP general meeting of lawmakers held that day, minimizing his public activities.
Some in political circles observe that Chairman Jang will try to maintain control over the political situation by using the ballot shortage incident that occurred in some areas, including Songpa District in Seoul. The previous day, Chairman Jang and the leadership visited the National Election Commission and demanded "to stop the vote count," signaling the possibility of pursuing an election invalidation lawsuit at the party level.
However, the prevailing view in political circles is that even if the PPP maintains the current system for the time being, conflict over redefining its course and reorganizing its power structure will be inevitable. In particular, with the political influence of former leader Han, who returned to the legislature with the Busan Buk-A victory, having grown, debate within the party over Han's role and standing is also expected to begin in earnest.
While discussion of his readmission to the party has not yet surfaced, some analyses suggest that if reform work begins in earnest going forward, a movement to realign forces centered on former leader Han could naturally gain momentum.
The selection of a successor to Floor Leader Song Eon-seok, whose term ends Sept. 16, is also cited as a watershed that will divide the party's internal power landscape. If the leadership resigns to take responsibility for the local election defeat, there is a strong possibility of transitioning to an emergency response committee system, in which case the new floor leader could take on the role of emergency committee chair or exercise the right to nominate the chair. Competition among factions with an eye on the next party leadership is also expected to intensify further.
However, some within the party voice caution, saying it is premature to immediately link the election defeat to the issue of leadership replacement. Lee Jin-sook, winner of the by-election for the Daegu Dalseong National Assembly seat, said on CBS Radio that day, "It is not appropriate to mention a leadership replacement right now." She added, "The leadership itself should reflect on this election process, humbly examine what the people demand, and then accept what should be accepted."
