Eight PPP candidates compete to run for presidential election

Former Education Minister Hwang Woo-yeo, who heads the ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s election committee, speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul on April 16, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, April 16 (AJP) - Eight candidates from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are set to compete in the first round of the party's internal primary for the presidential election slated for early June.

About a dozen candidates submitted their bids early this week, but three were eliminated during a selection process, finalizing a lineup of eight contenders: IT tycoon-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo, former party leader Han Dong-hoon, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, former Governor of North Gyeongsang Province Lee Cheol-woo, five-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won, former Samsung executive Yang Hyang-ja, former Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok

Former Education Minister Hwang Woo-yeo, who heads the party's election committee, said on Wednesday, "The final eight were selected after a thorough review of various criteria such as public expectations, qualifications, and overall competitiveness."

After a series of debates outlining their agendas and visions for presidency later this week, four candidates will be selected solely through a public opinion poll by next Tuesday. Another poll, with half the votes coming from party members and the rest from voters, will take place a week later to whittle down the list of candidates.

If no candidate secures a majority, the top two will face off early next month to decide the PPP's final candidate by May 3, who is widely expected to compete against Lee Jae-myung, former party leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), who remains far ahead of other candidates in most opinion polls.

The snap presidential election, set for June 3, comes due to the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law late last year.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

Eight PPP candidates compete to run for presidential election

Related