People Power Party (South Korea)

The People Power Party (Korean: 국민의힘; Hanja: 國民의힘; RR: Gungminuihim; lit. Power of Nationals) is a conservative[9][10][11][12] political party in South Korea.

People Power Party

국민의힘
AbbreviationPPP
LeaderKim Chong-in (Interim)
Floor LeaderJoo Ho-young
Secretary-GeneralCheong Yang-seog
Chair of the
Policy Planning Committee		Lee Jong-bae
Founded17 February 2020 (as the United Future Party)
2 September 2020 (as the People Power Party)
Merger ofLiberty Korea Party
New Conservative Party
Onward for Future 4.0
Future Korea Party
and other minor parties and political organizations
Preceded byLiberty Korea Party
Think tankThe Yeouido Institute
Student wingCentral college committee of PPP
Youth wingYoung people power party
Women's wingCentral women committee of PPP
Membership (2019)3,475,372 [1]
IdeologyConservatism
Social conservatism[2]
Anti-communism[3][4]
Factions:
Liberal conservatism[5]
Political positionRight-wing[6][7][8]
Regional affiliationAsia Pacific Democrat Union
International affiliationInternational Democrat Union
Colours  Red (main)
  Blue
  White
Seats in the National Assembly
102 / 300
Metropolitan mayor and Governors
3 / 17
Municipal Mayors
56 / 226
Seats within local government
1,003 / 2,926
Website
www.peoplepowerparty.kr
People Power Party
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGungminuihim
McCune–ReischauerKungminŭihim
United Future Party
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMiraetonghapdang
McCune–ReischauerMiraet'onghaptang

The party was formed on 17 February 2020 by the merger of the Liberty Korea Party, New Conservative Party, and Onward for Future 4.0, as well as several minor parties and political organizations.[13] Following the 2020 legislative election, it became the 2nd largest party in the National Assembly, with 103 MPs.[14] The People Power Party is one of two major political parties in South Korea, along with its rival, the liberal Democratic Party.

History

Background
Original logo as the United Future Party

The political scandal in 2016 led President Park Geun-hye to be impeached, and several MPs quit from the then-ruling Saenuri Party to form the Bareun Party.[15] The Saenuri Party changed its name to the Liberty Korea Party (LKP),[16] but following the final impeachment of Park on 10 March 2017, it de jure lost its ruling party position.[17] After the Democratic presidential candidate Moon Jae-in was elected on 9 May,[18] it officially became the main opposition.

Though several Bareun MPs returned to the LKP, the LKP did not recover its support, losing ground in the 2018 local elections.[19] Its President, Hong Jun-pyo, immediately resigned in order to take responsibility for the serious defeat.[19] The Bareun Party, which had merged with the minor centrist People's Party to form the Bareunmirae Party, also faced a defeat at the local elections.[20]

Both conservative parties then held snap leadership elections. On 2 September 2018, the Bareunmirae Party elected Sohn Hak-kyu as its new President.[21] On 27 February 2019, the Liberty Korea Party elected former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn as its new Leader.[22] Soon, Lee Un-ju, a Bareunmirae MP, quit her party[23] and was widely expected to join the LKP[24] but formed a new party named Onward for Future 4.0.[25] Other former Bareun MPs faced conflicts with its President Sohn also exited and founded the New Conservative Party.[26] As a "conservative union", the Liberty Korea Party, Onward for Future 4.0, and the New Conservative Party agreed to merge and establish a new party.[27]

The new party's name was initially set as the Grand Unified New Party (Korean: 대통합신당),[28] but soon changed to United Future Party (Korean: 미래통합당).[29] Park Hyung-joon, who led the merger and refoundation, explained that the name shows both support for youths and political solidarity.[30]

Founding congress

On 17 February 2020, 3 conservative parties were finally merged and refounded as the United Future Party.[13] It soon elected Liberty Korea president Hwang Kyo-ahn as the new President.[31] Though much of the new party leadership resembles that of the LKP, Vice-Presidents Won Hee-ryong and Kim Yŏng-hwan are not from the LKP.[31]

The President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party Leader Lee Hae-chan congratulated the new party's founding, but it was soon reported that the move was not welcomed by several members.[32] Some sources also reported that the party is planning to file a lawsuit against Moon.[33][34][35]

Yoo Seong-min, the former Bareunmirae president, did not attend the founding congress.[36] Yoo Young-ha, a pro-Park Geun-hye figure, exited the LKP before the formation of the new party.[37]

Since 2020

The party contested as an alliance with its sister satellite party, Future Korea Party (FKP), in 2020 election. However, some UFP candidates provoked controversies for defamatory remarks, such as Cha Myong-jin and Kim Dae-ho.[38]

The party was defeated in the election with one of the historically worst results for a conservative party in South Korea. They won 103 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly, slightly more than one-third of the seats.[39] It lost several key-figures i.e. Oh Se-hoon, Na Kyung-won, Shim Jae-chul, Kim Jin-tae and so on.[40][41] The Party Leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, who contested for Jongno District, also defeated by the former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon.[42] Hwang announced he would stand down as the party president.[43][44]

Following the resignation of Hwang, the party was reported they would temporarily establish the Emergency Planning Committee, led by Kim Chong-in.[45] It was, however, disagreed by several members including Kim Young-woo.[46] Hong Jun-pyo, who showed his intention to return to the UFP, also opposed the party's proposal[47] and revealed Kim's past corruption allegations.[48]

On 8 May, Joo Ho-young was elected the party's Floor Leader and therefore, he automatically became the party's interim Leader.[49][50] On 22 May, the party held an election in order to nominate Kim Chong-in as the interim President till the next by-elections on 7 April 2021,[51] which was accepted by him.[52][53] The same day, the FKP also announced its merger by 29 May.[51] On 28 May, both UFP and FKP officially declared its merged as the unified UFP.[14]

On 13 August, Realmeter had revealed an opinion polling, which shows that the party has gained more supports than the ruling Democratic Party (UFP: 36.5% - DP: 33.4%).[54] This is the first time that a conservative party gained more supports than a liberal party since the political scandal of the former President Park Geun-hye in October 2016.[54]

On 31 August, the party has decided to change its name to the People Power (Korean: 국민의힘; later the "Party" was added[55]).[56][57][58] It has also requested the name change to the National Election Commission.[57] There are arguments that the new proposed name is similar to the minor centrist People Party of Ahn Cheol-soo.[57][58] There are also speculations that the party is willing to form an electoral alliance with the minor opposition party in the 2021 by-elections.[57][58] Jung Chung-rae, an MP of the Democratic Party, criticised that the name is similar to a civic organisation established in 2003, where he used to serve its first co-President.[59][60]

On 2 September, the party has officially changed its name to the current one.[61][62][59][60] It has also declared that they would be a centrist and pragmatic party.[60] On 14 September, the party has revealed its logo and the 3 colours — red, yellow and blue,[63] based on its temporary decisions.[64] These colours were officially confirmed on 23 September; only yellow was replaced to white.[65]

On 17 September, Kwon Sung-dong, the MP for Gangneung, officially returned to the PPP, leading the party to have 104 seats.[66] He left the party prior to the 2020 election, where he stood as an independent candidate.[66] Nevertheless, its total seats was reverted to 103 after Park Duk-hyum, the MP for Boeun-Okcheon-Yeongdong-Goesan, quit the PPP on 23 September following corruption allegations.[67] He, however, denied all allegations related to him and his family.[67]

On 22 December, Jeon Bong-min the MP for Suyeong, quit the party following corruption allegations against himself and his father.[68]

On 7 January 2021, Kim Byung-wook, the MP for Pohang South-Ulleung, withdrew from the PPP due to a controversy related to sexual harassment.[69] The same day, Kim Tae-ho, the former Governor of South Gyeongsang and the incumbent MP for Sancheong-Hamyang-Geochang-Hapcheon, officially rejoined the party.[70]

Political positions

Social policies

The PPP has a strong socially conservative tendency and advocates traditional family values and national patriotism.[71] Most PPP politicians oppose LGBT rights.[72] Oh Se-hoon and other politicians, known as moderate conservatives,[73] are also opposed to homosexuality.[2] The party is strongly opposed to the comprehensive anti-discrimination law, which includes sexual minorities, saying it reverse discriminates against women.[74]

Leadership

Leaders
  • Note: ERC - as head of Emergency Response Committee
No. Name Photo Term of office Election results
Took office Left office
1 Hwang Kyo-ahn
(resigned)
17 February 202015 April 2020No election
— Shim Jae-chul
(acting)
16 April 20208 May 2020Succeeded
— Joo Ho-young
(acting)
8 May 202022 May 2020Succeeded
— Kim Chong-in
(ERC)
22 May 2020IncumbentAppointed

Floor Leaders
No. Name Photo Term of office
Took office Left office
1 Shim Jae-chul
(resigned)
17 February 20208 May 2020
2 Joo Ho-young
8 May 2020Incumbent

Secretary-General
No. Name Photo Term of office
Took office Left office
1 Park Wan-soo17 February 202028 May 2020
2 Kim Seon-dong28 May 202014 October 2020
3 Cheong Yang-seog
19 October 2020Incumbent

Election results

General elections
Election Total seats won Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Status Election leader
2020
103 / 300
 9,441,520 33.8% 19 seats; Minority Opposition Hwang Kyo-ahn

Notes

    References
    1. 國民力量, 国民の力 or other variants are translated names in Chinese and Japanese.
    1. 2019년도 정당의 활동개황 및 회계보고
    2. Song Chang-Sik (9 April 2020). "오세훈-고민정 이어 이동섭-우원식도 동성애 혐오 발언". 미디어스.
    3. Seo Han-gil (14 April 2020). "황교안, 또 다시 큰절…"조국 부부 미소 짓고, 윤석열 쫓겨날 것"". 동아일보.
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    7. "Ten years since Cheonan sinking, Seoul mulls naming new frigate after the ship". NK News. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020. Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition United Future Party (UFP), previously Liberty Korea Party (LKP), stated that the “reality of the national security of the ROK in 2020 is embarrassing” and that the soldiers’ sacrifice should not be in vain.
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    9. Shim, Elizabeth (28 February 2020). "South Korea president voices concern about Chinese reprisal". United Press International (UPI). Retrieved 16 March 2020. Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the conservative United Future Party, the main opposition, told Moon it might not be too late to implement a ban to prevent a further increase in cases of COVID-19.
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