People's Party Of Korea Primary Results In Win For Centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo
A few weeks before the South Korean presidential elections, the race for the top post in the East Asian country is getting tighter as Ahn Cheol-Soo new party is starting to gain footing in the polls. The People's Party of Korea, a centrist party formed by the eventual winner of the People's Party of Korea primary Ahn, aims to replicate its strong showing in last year's legislative elections by challenging the two main parties.
With Ahn officially named as the standard bearer after the People's Party of Korea primary, the software mogul is expected to face off against Moon Jae-In (center-left Minjoo Party) and Hong Jun-Pyo (center-right Liberty Korea Party) in the much-publicized race. Business Insider reports that Ahn is polling second against Moon, leaving Hong of the ruling Liberty Korea Party (formerly known as Saenuri Party) in third place.
Ahn's win in the People's Party of Korea primary was due to his appeal to many voters. Ahn's surprising poll numbers was triggered partly by his tough stance on the threats of North Korea. Because of this, he is able to attract support from the right-wing supporters of then-leader Park Geun-hye, who is not as amiable to the idea of being friendly with North Korea before the South Korean president impeachment. In comparison, Moon has been criticized for his more liberal opinions on national security. This may as well lead to an even better electoral result for the Ahn Cheol-Soo new party.
Despite the fact that the former president of South Korea is already in police custody, her name will be a frequent topic in the run-up to the elections. The arrest of Park and subsequent South Korean president impeachment, which the National Review calls as as "a triumph of the rule of law and a post-partisan popular will," caused the downfall of her own party, which has been in power since 2007. The controversy attached to her name may cause livelier People's Party of Korea primary elections in the future as they have been the direct beneficiaries of Liberty's losses. Watch the clip of Ahn in the People's Party of Korea primary elections in the video below.