Moon Jae-in, former aide to the late Presient Roh Moo-hyun, said on Tuesday he will announce his candidacy on Sunday. He is supported by new party leader Lee Hae-chan, a former prime minister and leading pro-Roh figure.
“I am the DUP’s most competitive candidate and also the only one who may realize the political changes for which the people yearn,” said Moon in a party forum on Tuesday.
“In order to defeat the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye and to achieve the power transfer, it is crucial that I should run in the race.”
The former presidential secretary has been regarded as the top potential candidate for the liberal party.
Meanwhile, his camp kicked off a policy think tank last month, embracing most of the key figures of the Roh administration.
On the other hand, underdog candidates also hurried to catch up with Moon.
South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Doo-kwan held an event for his autobiography in Changwon on Tuesday.
The event is effectively regarded as Kim’s first step in the nomination competition. His official announcement is expected to take place early next month after he resigns as governor.
On Monday, 11 DUP lawmakers issued a joint statement, declaring their support for Kim and urging him to step forward as a presidential candidate.
During the party’s leadership election, Kim gathered momentum as a plausible rival to Moon.
Former Democratic Party members are also bracing for the competition.
Senior party adviser Sohn Hak-kyu is to announce his candidacy on Thursday, while former DP heads Chung Dong-young and Chung Sye-kyun are also moving up their timeline.
Though the trio was overshadowed by Moon, Kim and by non-party figure professor Ahn Cheol-soo, they nevertheless remain as significant variables on the election chessboard.
Sohn has his stronghold in the metropolitan Seoul and Gyeonggi region and is backed by a group of loyalists who have stayed with him since the last presidential primary back in 2007.
The Seoul National University professor is expected to pick up speed next month, after ending the school semester and publishing his autobiography.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldm.com)
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