South Korea's ruling party in leadership feud over nomination reforms ahead of local elections

The People Power Party’s nomination management chairman, Lee Jeong-hyun, remains at the center of a leadership dispute as of March 12. He had been seen heading to the party’s central headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, for a briefing, with no plans announced to meet Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon or the party leadership at this time.

Jang Dong-hyeok, the party chairman, publicly urged Lee to return and lead a renewed effort to reform the nomination system ahead of local elections. In recent days, Jang has pressed Lee to rejoin the party’s leadership, saying that decisive action is needed to secure victory in upcoming vote contests.

Lee Jeong-hyun had abruptly offered his resignation the day before and had disappeared from view. The timing and circumstances of his departure appear tied to tensions within the party over ideological direction, notably disagreements with Oh Se-hoon over the party’s policy posture.

Oh Se-hoon, Seoul’s mayor, did not submit his candidacy for re-election when the party called for a change in its direction on March 8. He later also did not register in an additional round of candidate nominations on March 12, a move interpreted by some as a signal of his push for a shift away from the current party line.

On March 9, members of the party’s lawmakers issued a statement opposing calls for former President Yoon Suk Yeol to return to frontline politics, signaling a desire to distance the party from what they described as the “Yoon-era” policy stance. This has intensified the intra-party debate over its future course.

As of March 12, Oh Se-hoon had not applied for additional candidacy, and the leadership has not announced plans for a direct meeting with him. The party’s top spokesman, Park Seong-hoon, said contact with Lee Jeong-hyun remained difficult and that party officials would continue to reach out through his aides to seek a constructive resolution.

Park also noted there was no immediate plan for the party leadership to meet with Oh Se-hoon to discuss the direction of the party or its local election strategy. He emphasized the need to resolve the leadership dispute in a constructive way.

Context for readers outside Korea: Lee Jeong-hyun chairs the committee that selects party candidates for elections, a pivotal role as Korea gears up for the 2026 local elections. Oh Se-hoon, as Seoul’s mayor, is a high-profile figure whose stance on party direction can influence urban policy and national messaging. The dispute over moving away from a pro-Yoon Suk Yeol policy line reflects wider debates within the ruling party about how aggressively to reform its platform and appeal to voters, with potential implications for domestic policy, Korea’s political stability, and its ability to coordinate with the United States on security, technology, and economic policy.