South Korea: Can the party fight the election with former president Yoon? Calls for him to leave the party as it struggles in the presidential election

As election campaigning gets into full swing in South Korea for the presidential election to be held on June 3, there are growing calls from within the ruling People Power Party for former President Yoon Seok-yeol to leave the party.
He was impeached by the National Assembly in December for declaring "emergency martial law," and last month the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of Yoon's impeachment. Yoon lost office and next month's presidential election was postponed.
So far in the election campaign, Lee Jae-myung, the official candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, has been leading the approval ratings as the most suitable person to be the next president, and the ruling party's People's Democratic Party has been
The People's Power candidate, Kim Moon-soo, is trailing by a large margin. Some within the People's Power Party have voiced concerns that the party cannot fight the election with Yoon, who was dismissed after imposing emergency law, as a member.
On the 15th of this month, Kim Yong-tae, head of the party's interim executive and emergency response committee chairman, indicated his intention to advise Yoon to leave the party.
The "emergency martial law" declared by Yoon last December was in accordance with the South Korean Constitution.
A type of martial law. It is issued by the president in times of war, emergency, or other military emergency, or to maintain public order. The military takes control of administrative and judicial functions, and freedom of speech, publication, and association are restricted.
In 1987, the first emergency law was declared since democratization, and armed soldiers of the martial law army broke the windows and stormed into the National Assembly building.
In a situation reminiscent of the past, many citizens gathered in front of the National Diet, chanting slogans against martial law and surrounding military vehicles, causing chaos.
However, if a majority of members of the National Assembly request the lifting of martial law, the President must comply with this request, and immediately after the declaration, the National Assembly must declare the lifting of the law.
A meeting was held, and all the lawmakers in attendance voted in favor of lifting the state of emergency. Yoon lifted it in just six hours. However, the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Yoon for "attempting to suspend the constitutional order and seizing power permanently."
The ruling party submitted a motion to impeach Yoon to the National Assembly, accusing him of violating the Constitution by "attempting a civil war to seize power and seize power." If the motion is passed, the Constitutional Court will decide within six months whether to dismiss Yoon or reinstate him.
The Constitutional Court unanimously decided last month to approve Yoon's impeachment. With Yoon no longer in office, a presidential election will be held on the 3rd of next month.
The election campaign officially began on the 12th of this month. According to the Korean newspaper Hankyoreh, a public opinion poll conducted by the Korean Association of Political Parties and the polling agency STI from the 8th to the 11th of this month showed that
In the polls, Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea led the way with 49.3% support, followed by Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party with 25.8% and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party with 9.1%.
Among the moderate voters who hold the key to victory, Lee Jae-myung received 51.8% of the votes, Kim Moon-soo 14.9%, and Lee Jun-seok 12.7%, showing that Lee has made deep inroads among the moderate voters as well.
The People Power Party is facing a tough election campaign as its supporters are gradually losing ground after Yoon declared "emergency martial law." On the 12th, Kim made a public appearance in connection with Yoon's "emergency martial law."
"The martial law has caused great hardship to the people. We are sorry to the people who are suffering due to the martial law in areas such as exports and diplomatic relations," he said in his first official apology.
Within the People Power Party, there are growing calls for Yoon to leave the party or be expelled in order to win over some conservative and moderate voters who are critical of the martial law.
On the 15th, Tae, the party's emergency response committee chairman, said, "I would like to meet with (former President Yoon) as soon as possible and ask him to make a decision for the sake of the People Power Party and the victory in the presidential election," and called for him to leave the party.
Lee Jong Hyun, chairman of the Joint Election Strategy Committee, also called for Yoon to voluntarily leave the party on the same day. What does Yoon himself think about these calls?
According to the Ilbo newspaper, citing a source close to Yoon, "In a recent phone call with candidate Kim, former President Yoon said, 'I don't mind you stepping on me as much as you want if it helps the election.
However, Yoon said it was up to Kim to decide whether his departure from the party would be beneficial for the election or whether it would be better for him to remain a member of the party.
Meanwhile, according to the Hankyoreh, Kim told Yoon's aides that he hoped former President Yoon would not leave the party.
With the opposition candidate trailing by a large margin, attention is focused on the party's decision regarding Yoon and how he will respond in the future.