PPP faces candidate shortage for local elections as heavyweights skip primaries

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a meeting at Seoul City Hall, Monday, to review safety measures for K-pop group BTS’ comeback concert on March 21. Yonhap

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is facing growing strain ahead of the June 3 local elections after several political heavyweights opted out of the party’s primary races, potentially weakening its chances against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

According to the party's primary registration list that was finalized Sunday night, candidate sign-ups were weak across key regions, including the Seoul metropolitan area and South Chungcheong Province.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, considered one of the party's most prominent figures, opted out of the PPP's Seoul mayoral primary. His announcement, made just hours before the registration deadline, came as a surprise to many as he previously hinted he would seek a fifth term.

His decision comes amid a widening rift with the PPP leadership.

Oh has publicly urged PPP chairman Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok to clarify the party’s political direction and distance its leadership from supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his martial law debacle, saying it would improve the party’s chances in local elections.

Rep. Na Kyung-won, a five-term lawmaker, and Rep. Shin Dong-uk, a first-term lawmaker and the party’s senior Supreme Council member, also opted out of the Seoul mayoral race.

As of Monday morning, only two candidates had entered the PPP's Seoul mayoral primary — Yoon Hee-sook, a former lawmaker, and Lee Sang-kyu, a party member. Neither currently holds a parliamentary seat.

The DPK, meanwhile, has registered five candidates for its Seoul mayoral primary and is gearing up for the campaign.

The lack of prominent candidates in the capital has raised concerns within the PPP that the party's primaries may fail to generate momentum and public attention ahead of the elections.

Rep. Song Eon-seog, left ,floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), and PPP Chairman Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok head to the party's emergency meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

PPP nomination committee chief Lee Jung-hyun said Monday afternoon the party would wait for more qualified candidates, leaving the door open for further primary applications.

Lee's comments marked a shift from an earlier Facebook post, in which he said there would be no bending of the rules for Oh, adding that “it should not be taken lightly” if a candidate misses the registration deadline and then expects the party to reopen applications.

Following an emergency general assembly later in the day, the PPP issued a resolution opposing Yoon's potential return to politics, in an apparent effort to break away from his supporters.

However, party leaders did not clarify whether the move was in response to calls from the Seoul mayor.

In South Chungcheong Province, incumbent Gov. Kim Tae-heum, a PPP member, has opted not to run for reelection, leaving a vacuum in a critical "swing" region that historically acts as a barometer of national electoral momentum. Notably, no candidate from the party has so far applied for the nomination in the race for this pivotal territory.

In Gyeonggi Province, widely seen as a tough battleground for conservatives, former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min and Rep. Kim Eun-hye, both considered leading contenders, also opted out of the race. Former lawmakers Won Yoo-chul and Shim Jae-cheol, whose possible bids had been widely speculated, ultimately did not register for the party's nomination.

Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the party's Supreme Council known for her expertise in semiconductor policy, and Ham Jin-kyu, a former two-term lawmaker with established, albeit less prominent, institutional experience among the conservative base, have both applied for the nomination.

The situation contrasts with the PPP's stronghold in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where nine candidates entered the Daegu mayoral primary and six registered for the North Gyeongsang governor race.

The local elections, coming about a year after President Lee Jae Myung took office, are widely seen as an early test of his administration. But the PPP has so far failed to capitalize on the opportunity as it trails in opinion polls and faces growing internal divisions.

A recent Realmeter poll among 1,001 adults nationwide conducted Thursday and Friday showed the DPK with 48.1 percent support, compared to 32.4 percent for the PPP.