Na Kyung-won, second from right, bows to visitors at the Dongjak District Office in Seoul, Wednesday, where the ruling People Power Party members greeted the public to celebrate the New Year. Joint Press Corps.

By Ko Dong-hwan

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won has emerged as a potential candidate in the People Power Party's (PPP) leadership contest to be held in two months.

Appearing at the party's Yeouido headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday as the members of its Seoul chapter greeted the public for New Year, the seasoned conservative politician kept her words to a minimum regarding whether she will launch the bid. She, however, used the words, "absolute harmony for the success of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration," while raising a toast in front of the lawmakers, as the party is looking to overtake the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea in the country's National Assembly elections to be held next year and claim more Assembly seats this time.

If Na, vice chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, joins the race during the PPP party convention in March, it could mean a massive shift in public opinion on the party.

For one thing, among the most popular candidates for the party's chief position, Na claimed the No.1 spot in a recent poll. Hangil Research surveyed over 1,000 adults from last Saturday to Monday and Na, the former PPP lawmaker, won over 30 percent of the respondents' support. She was followed by Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon (18.8), former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min (14.6) and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo (13.9).

"I'm thinking how to support the country, the PPP and the president," Na told reporters on Tuesday in front of her residence in the central Seoul district of Yongsan. "And whether to run for the party chief bid will be decided based on a conclusion from that."

Na Kyung-won raises a toast during a New Year's event at the People Power Party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps.

Yoon appointed her to the No. 2 seat under him on the presidential committee last October. She offered to resign earlier this month but the president has yet to accept her resignation.

Na's resignation offer came following her proposal to forgive debt for young married couples in the goal of increasing childbirths was firmly dismissed by the presidential office. Ahn Sang-hoon, senior secretary to the president for social policy, said Na's proposal seemed "far-fetched from the viewpoint of the presidential office." Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also said Tuesday he had directly told her he cannot agree on the idea for its "impracticality."

"I resigned because I worried the president," Na told reporters on Tuesday. The presidential office said they confirmed her resignation, which she sent via text message. But it remains unknown whether the office officially accepted her resignation. Observers said that if the office doesn't accept the resignation, it means the office doesn't want her to run for the chief position.

Observers also said Na might have quit the presidential committee in order to run for the role of party chief. If she does, it remains unclear whether she will position herself close to or distanced from the current president. She said on Wednesday that she doesn't want to "clash with the presidential office." The same day, she visited the Dongjak District Office in Seoul, the constituency she used to represent when she was a PPP lawmaker in 2020, and met with local residents alongside other PPP lawmakers for over 30 minutes to offer a New Year's greeting.

She told the reporters Tuesday she will announce around the coming Lunar New Year holidays (Jan. 21-24) whether she will join the race. Candidate registration begins on Feb. 2-3 so it is expected that her announcement will be made close before that. Yoon doesn't have much time to decide on whether or not to accept her resignation from the committee. He leaves for the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 14 and the trip is followed by the Lunar New Year holidays.