South Korea: PPP lawmaker, critical of ex-President Yoon's impeachment, elected as party chief

Seoul, Aug 26 (IANS) Jang Dong-hyeok, a hard-line critic of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster, was elected as the new leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday.

Jang garnered 50.27 per cent of the votes against former presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo's 49.73 per cent, beating him by 2,367 votes in a runoff election during the PPP's national convention.

Jang now faces the task of recouping the conservative party after its crushing defeat in this year's presidential election in June, trigged by Yoon's ouster over his botched martial law bid.

"If it's the right path, I will advance forward without yielding," Jang said in a victory speech.

"In solidarity with other right-wing citizens, I will give my all to bring down the Lee Jae Myung administration."

The two-term lawmaker, who first entered parliament in a 2022 by-election, will be tasked with guiding the party ahead of next year's local elections.

His victory comes as the PPP has been struggling with internal strife after Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law in December and its subsequent defeat in the June presidential election.

Observers viewed the party convention as a key moment for the PPP to clarify its stance on the former president.

Kim and Jang, who both opposed Yoon's impeachment, advanced to the run-off vote Friday as the two other contenders who supported it -- Reps. Cho Kyoung-tae and Ahn Cheol-soo -- failed to make the cut.

While Kim had expressed willingness to work with those in support of Yoon's ouster to woo more votes, Jang maintained his hard-line stance to appeal to his support base.

During the leadership race, Jang warned against "enemies" within the party, calling for a decision for those who create internal conflict, Yonhap news agency reported.

The PPP's approval rating has lagged behind the ruling Democratic Party (DP), with support for the DP standing at 45.8 per cent, compared with the PPP's 35.5 per cent in a Realmeter survey released Monday.

--IANS

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