People Power Party falters amid calls for reform and accountability

Lee Sang-ryeol

The author is a senior editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo stepped down as chair of the People Power Party’s (PPP) innovation committee last week, just five days after accepting the role. His departure was prompted by internal resistance to his call for sweeping personnel reform. Ahn simultaneously declared his intention to run for party leader, citing the entrenched power of the pro-Yoon faction as an obstacle to real change.

This was no surprise to many observers. The early exit of Kim Yong-tae, the youngest member of the emergency leadership committee and a rising figure within the party, had already signaled how resistant the PPP remains to internal reform. Kim, born in 1990, had once gained attention during Kim Moon-soo’s presidential campaign and was widely credited with leading the push for former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s departure from the party.

Following the PPP’s recent defeat in the early presidential election, Kim proposed five reform measures: invalidating the party’s opposition to Yoon’s impeachment, initiating a review of the nomination process, balancing public and party opinion in policymaking and adopting a bottom-up nomination system. Though modest by conventional standards, his proposals were rejected. Many in the party saw him more as a marketing tool than a genuine reformer.

Ahn’s short-lived appointment as innovation chair, followed by his resignation, has led critics to argue that the role was always more about appearances than genuine change. Former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook has since assumed the position, but the party’s internal dynamics appear unchanged.

Meanwhile, the latest Gallup Korea poll released on July 4 shows the PPP with just 22 percent public support — less than half that of the ruling Democratic Party at 46 percent. President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating stands at 65 percent. The gap reflects not only policy differences, but also a growing perception that the PPP has done little since the election while the Lee administration has moved forward.

Today’s PPP lacks three qualities: reflection, urgency and ideological clarity. But it wasn’t always this way.

After the 2004 impeachment of then-President Roh Moo-hyun and revelations of illegal campaign financing, the PPP’s predecessor, the Grand National Party, took bold steps. The party sold headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, and moved into a makeshift tent to demonstrate its remorse. This symbolic act of repentance helped it survive the 2004 general election and paved the way for the rise of former President Park Geun-hye.

No such gestures have been made following the recent election defeat. No major figure has taken political responsibility. No policy white paper has been issued.

In contrast, after the impeachment of Park, the opposition (then the Liberty Korea Party) regained footing under Moon's administration. Floor leader Kim Sung-tae staged a nine-day hunger strike demanding a special counsel investigation into the “Druking” online manipulation scandal, which eventually led to the conviction of Kim Kyung-soo, a key Moon ally. The PPP today shows no similar resolve.

More troubling is the party’s lack of ideological consistency. Its recent acceptance of cash handouts and corporate law amendments — both policies it had previously opposed — have come without explanation. If progressives spend public funds to gain favor, shouldn’t a conservative party at least raise fiscal concerns? If the PPP had real issues with threats to corporate governance, why did it reverse its stance after the election?

These shifts raise fundamental questions about the party’s credibility and its ability to represent conservative values. Without a clear identity or direction, the PPP risks alienating its base.

Some argue the party’s complacency stems from the next general election being three years away. But time may not be on its side. Many among the conservative electorate have begun expressing frustration more openly. A common refrain: “They’ll only wake up after losing even more.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.