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Source: Yonhap

With a month left until the People Power Party (PPP) elects its new leader, internal tensions are mounting between the “pro-impeachment” (찬탄) and “anti-impeachment” (반탄) factions. Kim Moon-soo, a former presidential candidate, is actively courting hardline conservative support within the pro-impeachment camp, while Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk has positioned himself as a late entrant. Meanwhile, Han Dong-hoon, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, and Rep. Cho Kyung-tae are rallying support on a reformist platform in opposition to the party’s perceived shift toward extremism.

According to political sources on July 22, Kim is targeting staunch conservatives who remain loyal to former President Yoon Suk-yeol. Given that the party leadership vote is weighted 80% by party members and 20% by public opinion, he is prioritizing “party sentiment” over broader appeal. Declaring his candidacy, Kim vowed to “stop the runaway Lee Jae-myung administration and make the Republic of Korea great through liberal democracy.” He also expressed support for allowing Jeon Han-gil, a controversial figure promoting election fraud claims and “Yoon Again” rhetoric, to join the party, saying, “Unless there’s a specific problem, he should be accepted. Innovation that splits the party is self-destructive.”

Rep. Jang echoed these sentiments on Facebook, stating, “I can no longer watch internal critics portray many anti-impeachment voters, our party, and myself as far-right.” He made the remarks in defiance of the party’s reform committee, which recently named him as a target for its first wave of personnel reshuffling — suggesting a direct confrontation with leadership. Jang is expected to officially declare his candidacy on July 23.

The fate of the race may depend on where hardline conservative votes — once Kim’s stronghold — ultimately go. While Kim and Jang share opposition to Yoon’s impeachment and personnel reforms, tension remains from the last presidential election, when Kim attempted to unify with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Meanwhile, the reformist faction opposing the party’s hard-right turn is rapidly building momentum. Ahn Cheol-soo recently met with Jo Gap-je, editor of JoGapJe.com, to discuss innovation in conservative politics. They reportedly shared concerns that “without breaking from extremism, Korea has no future.”

Han Dong-hoon, still undecided on running, is expanding his outreach to lawmakers critical of the party’s current trajectory. On Facebook, he denounced Jeon Han-gil as “a lecturer who defends illegal martial law and aggressively pushes election conspiracy theories,” warning of the PPP’s potential transformation into a far-right party. He added, “It’s only natural that people are concerned when far-right figures are being invited to speak and endorsed by party members.”

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae also criticized the party mainstream, including pro-Yoon factions. Speaking at a press conference with local media at the Daegu City Council, he said, “If any of our lawmakers believe they should be investigated by a special prosecutor, I urge them to respectfully leave the party.”