PPP leader’s visit to disgraced ex-president brings little benefits
Park Geun-hye stresses unity ahead of elections
The visit of ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Han Dong-hoon to former President Park Geun-hye, primarily aimed at rallying support from conservative voters amid its declining support rate, may potentially lead to the alienation of centrist voters as his courtesy call to the impeached leader may not resonate well with the public, according to political observers.
Park, who led the country from 2013 to 2017, is still seen as an influential figure among conservative voters despite her corruption convictions.
Han held a 30-minute conversation with Park at her residence in Daegu, a PPP stronghold, during which the former president stressed the importance of unity between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han in the current difficult circumstances, according to her lawyer Yoo Young-ha, who was also present.
Han and Yoon were members of the special prosecutor team investigating a major corruption scandal that ultimately led to Park’s impeachment in 2016.
Political commentator Park Chang-hwan said that Han’s visit to the disgraced former president brings more cons than pros to the party’s election campaign hopes, suggesting that Han’s campaign trail should prioritize events aimed at appealing to swing voters.
“The last couple of weeks before the elections are a crucial moment for a political party to expand its support base and appeal to voters who have not yet decided whom to cast their ballot for. In that sense, I don’t think Han’s visit, which resonates only with strong conservatives, was a timely move,” he said.
The analyst also mentioned that the visit may not be received well by many centrists, whose anger still lingers due to Park’s bribery and abuse of power convictions.
Kim Hyung-joon, a professor at Pai Chai University, said, “Instead of relying too much on its traditional support base, the PPP should prioritize expanding its supporters by addressing pending issues that can move the needle, such as resolving the prolonged doctors’ strike.”
However, some analysts view that the meeting with Park was a necessary decision amid shrinking approval ratings on its home turf.
“The meeting between Han and Park will help shore up the support of conservative voters, who have been disappointed by the party’s recent decision to cancel the nomination of Do Tae-woo, a figure close to Park,” said political commentator Rhee Jong-hoon.
Earlier this month, the PPP stripped the candidacy of Do in Daegu’s Jung and Nam constituency, due to his past remarks linking North Korea’s influence with the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju.