Former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon won a parliamentary by-election and is headed to the National Assembly, while Cho Kuk of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) lost, casting doubt over his political future.
Han won in the Buk district of the country's southern port city of Busan with 42.96 percent of the vote, narrowly beating Democratic Party (DP) candidate Ha Jung-woo, who received 41.26 percent, in a neck-and-neck race. PPP candidate Park Min-sik, who was expected to split the conservative vote and boost Ha's chances, trailed with a mere 15.76 percent.
Han, once a close aide to disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol, served as justice minister under the Yoon administration before becoming PPP leader in July 2024.
But he was later expelled from the conservative party late last year over dubious allegations that included hundreds of defamatory comments about Yoon and his wife posted on the party's online bulletin board.
Han's overnight election victory has sparked speculation about a conservative realignment, with the PPP's internal rift over distancing itself from Yoon likely to intensify further. Han was among those who voted to lift Yoon's abrupt Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024.
Lawmakers aligned with Han within the PPP could push for his return to the party. The possibility of Han launching a new conservative party has also been raised. His victory is seen as laying the groundwork for him to emerge as a leading conservative contender in the next presidential election.
PPP lawmakers told AJP that Han would return to the PPP and would not launch a new party.
"His return to the party is a matter of timing, and there does not seem to be any discussion about launching a new party yet," PPP lawmaker Kim So-hee said. "Launching a new party would be difficult," she added.
PPP four-term lawmaker Han Ki-ho said Han was unlikely to forcefully seek a return to the party and that the PPP would instead encourage him to rejoin.
Dismissing speculation about a new party, he said, "Launching a new party is out of the question."
"Once he enters the National Assembly, he will receive intense media attention, and if Han reflects the will of the people, the party will have no choice but to encourage him to join," Han added. "If Han maintains his soft, inclusive image, he will win public support."
PPP candidate Yoo Eui-dong led with 34.83 percent and was on course for victory, while Kim Yong-nam of the DP came in second with 28.77 percent.
Analysts say Cho, who had been considered a potential presidential contender, suffered a major blow to his leadership after failing to enter the National Assembly, and that the result could deal a fatal hit to his political career. Cho's defeat is expected to affect not only his personal political standing but also the future of his party.
With his defeat, a possible merger between the DP and the RKP is now expected to be put on hold for the time being. During the campaign, Cho launched fierce attacks against the DP candidate while also stepping up criticism of the DP leadership, further deepening the rift between the two parties.
With the DP soon set to begin preparations for a national convention to elect a new party leader and Supreme Council members, discussions on a merger between the two parties are likely to be left to the next leadership.
Kim Joon-hyung, a lawmaker from the RKP, said there are currently no discussions within the party about a merger with the DP. Kim said no one was talking about a merger even in the RKP lawmakers' group chat on Telegram.
He expressed disappointment over the DP's attitude toward the RKP. "DP leader Jung Chung-rae also talked about 'solidarity,' but the 'solidarity' the DP referred to was violent and one-sided," he said.
"Now that Cho has lost, we no longer have the leverage we once had, so the DP would become even more aggressive toward the RKP," he predicted.
"Kim Boo-kyum, the party's candidate for Daegu mayor, and Kim Kyoung-soo, the party's candidate for South Gyeongsang governor, were defeated, while Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Han strengthened their standing as presidential contenders with their victories," he also said.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
