All Korean Party District Committee Chairs Resign... First and Re-elected Members Leave Their Positions 'Blank Delegation'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The chairpersons of the Liberty Korea Party's local party committees collectively resigned ahead of the April 15 general election this year. First-term and second-term lawmakers submitted so-called 'letters of delegation of nomination rights' to the party leadership, pledging to accept the party's nomination decisions unconditionally. This move is analyzed as both a demonstration of the party's innovation image and groundwork for conservative unification.

On the 9th, the Liberty Korea Party held an executive meeting chaired by Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn and resolved the collective resignation of the chairpersons of the nationwide party member councils' operating committees.

Secretary-General Park Wan-soo said, "Ahead of the general election, all local party committee chairpersons are resigning collectively to ensure fairness among committee chairpersons and other candidates, creating a fair competitive environment to enhance competitiveness," adding, "Everyone agreed on this decision for victory in the general election."

According to party rules, local party committee chairpersons are required to resign before applying for nomination, but this collective resignation is considered earlier than usual. Regarding this, Representative Hwang told reporters after the meeting, "Please interpret this as us preparing for the general election a bit earlier."

Along with this, 69 first-term and second-term lawmakers of the Liberty Korea Party submitted letters on the same day to the party leadership, entrusting their positions related to the April 15 general election nominations. Except for those who declared they would not run, all 28 second-term lawmakers and 41 first-term lawmakers participated. Park Deok-heum, the second-term lawmakers' secretary, said, "This decision is meant to empower the party leadership and accelerate reform," adding, "We will act according to the party leadership's intentions." Lee Yang-su, the first-term lawmakers' secretary, emphasized, "With the single-minded belief that the party and the country must stand upright, we united with the intention to take the lead."

There is also analysis that this series of decisions is an attempt to open space by stepping down first amid ongoing discussions on conservative unification. As conflicts surfaced due to internal disagreements over the method of conservative unification, this move is also interpreted as an effort to regulate and unify the party's will for conservative unification. At the meeting, Park said, "Second-term lawmakers are almost unanimously in favor of grand unification." Lee also said, "First-term lawmakers agreed on speeding up unification and producing results."

In his remarks at the executive meeting, Representative Hwang seemed aware of internal disagreements over the method of conservative unification, saying, "I have never thought unification would be easy," but expressed his determination, stating, "Unification is a public mandate to stop the Moon Jae-in administration's tyranny, and refusal is disobedience to the people."

He said, "Even within the same party, politics always involves competition, but we have overcome small differences and embraced each other to write great history together. Although it is not easy, I will sincerely do my best for unification to revive the Republic of Korea," adding, "The experience of former leaders and senior members who have stepped forward without hesitation whenever the party was in difficulty is needed more than ever. I will meet with them anytime to seek their wisdom."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.