Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the People Power Party, speaks during an emergency press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 15. By reporter Han Soo-bin

Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the People Power Party (PPP) said on May 15 that he “sincerely apologizes” for former President Yoon Suk-yeol's imposition of emergency martial law on December 3 last year. He held a press conference to officially apologize at the party level after previously expressing his apology in interviews. However, he criticized the Constitutional Court's unanimous dismissal of Yoon’s impeachment trial as "something that only happens in a communist country.” Kim's appointment of figures who advocated Yoon’s martial law declaration and insurgency to his presidential campaign team is also a far cry from his apology. Watching Kim’s actions of “saying one thing while doing another” makes it hard to tell whether his real goal is the presidency or the protection of pro-insurrection forces.

At the press conference, Kim said, “Even it is the President’s war powers under the constitution, declaring martial law before a national crisis fully unfolds is inappropriate,” adding, “Had I known, I would have clearly laid out the reasons why martial law should not be declared.” Kim’s apology is meant to be a party-level acknowledgment of responsibility for a president it once backed, not a personal excuse. An apology lacking the three “key principles,” which are clearly explaining the wrongdoing (truth), admitting responsibility (acknowledgment), and offering plans for future action (commitment), will never come across as sincere to the public. Kim especially condemned the Constitutional Court’s unanimous ruling, saying, “That kind of thing is common in communist countries like North Korea or China,” and added, “A court that cannot express diverse opinions is dangerous.” However, the court’s unanimous ruling, reached after thorough deliberation, was intended to ease national division and promote unity, and it largely succeeded. It is disheartening that Kim, who has aligned himself with a radical base and defended insurrection during Yoon’s impeachment trial as a cabinet member under Yoon, now disparages the ruling as authoritarian rather than engaging in self-reflection.

It is also worrisome that Kim has recruited and deployed a number of people who supported Yoon and his martial law declaration in his presidential campaign team. He named lawyer Seok Dong-hyun, who was Yoon’s legal representative in the impeachment trial and a far-right Liberty Unification Party candidate in the previous general election, as head of the camp’s Civil Society Special Committee. Kim Geun-tae, defense and security adviser in Kim’s camp, had previously justified martial law declaration as an “emergency measure to root out anti-state forces.” Choi Ki-sik, a lawyer currently defending former Defense Intelligence Agency chief Noh Sang-won, who is on trial for involvement in insurrection, was appointed head of the camp’s Negative Joint Response Team. Given this, suspicions within the party that “Kim is trying to take over party leadership by forming an alliance with the Liberty Unification Party” seem anything but unfounded.

Kim’s recent moves ignore the reason why an early presidential election is being held and directly contradict the spirit of overcoming a national crisis. PPP interim leader Kim Yong-tae said, “We will recommend that former President Yoon voluntarily leave the party as soon as possible.” While this seems like an attempt to “cross the river of impeachment,” the leadership appears reluctant to expel Yoon directly, instead passing the responsibility onto him. Kim Moon-soo must live up to public expectations for overcoming the insurrection crisis and renewing conservative politics.