With just 82 days left until South Korea’s critical June 3 local elections, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has plunged deeper into turmoil. On March 13, 2026, Lee Jung-hyun, the party’s nomination committee chairman, abruptly resigned—a move that sent shockwaves through the political establishment and cast a shadow over the party’s election preparations. Lee’s departure comes at a time when the PPP is already riven by internal disputes over how candidates should be selected, with high-profile figures locked in a public power struggle and party unity hanging in the balance.
Lee Jung-hyun’s resignation was not entirely unforeseen, but the timing and manner caught many off guard. Appointed only 29 days prior, and with the nomination committee having officially launched on February 19, Lee’s tenure was brief but tumultuous. He took the dramatic step after finding it, in his words, “difficult to push for changes and innovation in the nomination process.” In his statement to the media, Lee explained, “I felt the necessity for change and innovation during the nomination process and wished for party unity and victory in the local elections. However, I found it difficult to pursue the direction I envisioned amid differing opinions.” He added, “I take full responsibility and am stepping down as nomination committee chairman. I sincerely wish for the party’s unity and for victory in the local elections.”
The resignation was reportedly triggered by a series of disagreements over the primary methods for selecting mayoral candidates in the pivotal cities of Daegu and Busan—both considered strongholds for the conservative party. According to Daegu Ilbo, Lee believed that “in regions with strong conservative support, there is a need for candidate selections that bring about change and innovation, such as open auditions.” However, it appears his vision clashed with the preferences of party leadership and other committee members, leading to an impasse he ultimately found insurmountable.
The internal discord did not stop with Lee’s departure. In fact, it seemed to escalate existing tensions within the PPP. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a prominent party figure, has been at the center of a separate but related controversy. Oh refused to submit his application for the party’s nomination as Seoul mayor, despite the nomination committee twice extending the deadline. His refusal was a pointed protest, demanding the early formation of an “innovation election committee”—a body he argued was essential for the party’s renewal and electoral success. The party leadership, led by Jang Dong-hyuk, rebuffed Oh’s demand, with Jang insisting, “Nomination is about fairness.” Jang’s stance was interpreted by many as a rejection of special accommodations for Oh, and a sign that the leadership was unwilling to yield to mounting pressure for structural change.
The standoff between Oh and Jang has become emblematic of the broader battle lines within the PPP. While Oh and his supporters push for sweeping reforms and a shake-up of the party’s election strategy, the leadership has largely held firm, wary of ceding ground or appearing to favor any individual. The situation has been further inflamed by public commentary from party members. For instance, Seoul lawmaker Kim Jae-seop remarked on SBS Radio, “If Representative Jang will not accept the innovation election committee, it would be better to leave the Seoul election alone. While local election candidates are working hard, Jang is plowing the field in the opposite direction with a tractor.” Another Seoul lawmaker, speaking to Yonhap News, lamented, “Our party’s atmosphere is so dire that, except for Daegu and Gyeongbuk, you can’t walk around in a party jacket. The earlier we launch the innovation election committee, the better.”
Meanwhile, the party’s more traditionalist wing has pushed back fiercely. Lee Sang-kyu, a party official who applied for the Seoul mayoral nomination, posted on social media, “Oh Se-hoon should be cut off. Opportunistic leadership that takes party members hostage to increase personal value is no longer an asset to our party but a cancer that must be removed.” Other senior party figures have accused Oh of “building an excuse not to run because he lacks confidence,” with top official Jo Gwang-han calling Oh’s tactics “pathetic.”
The leadership’s response to Lee Jung-hyun’s resignation was swift but uncertain. Jang Dong-hyuk, along with other top officials including Song Eon-seok and Jeong Jeom-sik, convened an emergency meeting at the National Assembly to discuss damage control. Party secretary-general Jeong Hee-yong told reporters, “We need to go and bring Chairman Lee back.” Yet, as of the morning of March 13, Lee was absent from the scheduled nomination committee meeting, and his phone was reportedly switched off. The committee’s work ground to a halt, deepening the sense of crisis.
There is considerable speculation among political observers that Lee’s resignation was not solely due to technical disagreements over the Daegu and Busan primaries. According to Munhwa Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun, many in the opposition believe that the ongoing standoff with Mayor Oh Se-hoon played a decisive role. When the nomination application period closed on March 8, there was pressure within the PPP to reopen submissions specifically for Oh, a move Lee reportedly found deeply frustrating. Party insiders suggest that the accumulation of such disputes—over process, personalities, and the party’s direction—ultimately made Lee’s position untenable.
All of this comes at a precarious time for the PPP. With local elections fast approaching, the party now faces a leadership vacuum in its nomination process and an open rift between reformists and traditionalists. The chaos has not gone unnoticed by the opposition, which has a strong presidential endorsement for its Seoul mayoral candidate and is preparing for a robust campaign. As one PPP lawmaker put it, “What’s going on in our party? The situation is so serious that, outside of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, you can’t even wear a party jacket. We need to launch the innovation election committee as soon as possible.”
Ultimately, Lee Jung-hyun’s resignation is both a symptom and a catalyst of the PPP’s current crisis. Whether the party can restore unity and present a credible front to voters remains to be seen. For now, the only certainty is that the road to the June 3 elections will be anything but smooth for South Korea’s ruling conservatives.