The main opposition the Minjoo Party seems to put up a fight despite the serial defections of lawmakers.

Since Ahn Cheol-soo former leader of New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) launched a new political party called the People’s Party early this month, a number of NPAD lawmakers who are mostly classified as non-mainstream members including Park Ji-won and Kim Han-gil defected from the NPAD and joined Ahn’s new party.
People thought Ahn’s defection would definitely influence the general elections in April and if the opposition is defeated. However, the outcome was vastly different, a number of new high-profile figures joining the party and 100-thousand people online.

Starting with crime profiler Pyo Chang-won, the Minjoo Party recruited many novel experts such as Video Game Company Webzen chairman Kim Byung-kwan, Lee Soo-hyuck, chief delegate to the six-party talks.

“Some lawmakers are leaving our party. But we have renewed hope, as we are boldly recruiting new figures and 100-thousand people have joined us by registering online. I will work with my remaining colleagues to build new hope for the party," Moon Jae-in leader of the Minjoo Party said.

Moreover, Kim Jong-in, a former campaign strategist for Park Geun-hye during the 2012 presidential election, joined the Minjoo Party after Moon asked him to head the election committee that will play a central role for the general election in April.

In contrast, although Ahn also attempted to recruit a number of experts, the outcome of his current recruit remained low due to a series of moral controversies.

In December 2015, Ahn left the NPAD as he had been opposed to the NPAD leader Moon Jae-in’s innovation proposal. He kept asking Moon’s resignation from his leadership position.

However, experts and people believe that since entering politics, Ahn did not show any kind of leadership skill or political vision. For the past months, he was rather emerged as an anti-Moon Jae-in since he repeatedly criticises Moon’s innovation proposal. He also proposed an innovative party convention to attempt replacing the leadership despite there are only three months left until the elections.

Ahn said the main purpose of the new party is to achieve a change of government. However, there is a firestorm of criticism by experts and the public saying that his move is bringing the division of the opposition.