Korean Party's Jeong Jong-seop to Not Run in General Election... "Key Figures in Factional Conflicts Must Step Down"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Jeong Jong-seop, a member of the Liberty Korea Party (Daegu Dong-gu Gap, first-term), announced on the 19th that he will not run in the general election. He is the first among the party's Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) lawmakers to do so.

Jeong held a press conference at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in the afternoon and stated, "I declare my non-candidacy so that bold personnel reform and integration can succeed in their true meaning."

He explained the reason for not running, saying, "All key figures responsible for the deep-rooted factional conflicts, including those who joined hands with the opposition party to advocate for the self-impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, should declare non-candidacy to open the way for power replacement and integration, which is the right attitude."

Jeong said, "There has been so much pain due to the impeachment of former President Park, and especially the pain and wounds experienced by voters in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region have not yet healed. Even though the demand for integration is increasing, seeing the impeachment leaders who still claim that the self-impeachment was right talk about integration is dividing public sentiment again."

Regarding conservative integration, he argued, "The integration demanded by the people means the 'integration of supporters' who want innovation and unity of the free right-wing forces, not the coalition or strategic calculations among old political forces that should be ousted or the opportunistic mergers of vested interests. Even if politicians unite strategically, the people will not support it."

He continued, "For innovation and integration to be achieved, those responsible for the great failure of conservative politics and conservative government and the old forces obsessed with vested interests must step down, and new political actors must be created with new forces."

He emphasized, "If those who are obstacles to bold personnel reform and integration declare non-candidacy first and serve quietly, integration can be easily achieved. Those responsible for political failure must take responsibility, and new forces must replace the old forces by 'putting new wine into new wineskins.'"

With Jeong's declaration of non-candidacy, the total number of Liberty Korea Party lawmakers who have announced they will not run in the general election as of today has reached 13, including Kim Moo-sung, Han Sun-kyo, Kim Se-yeon, Kim Young-woo, Yeo Sang-gyu, Kim Sung-chan, Kim Do-eup, Yoon Sang-jik, Yoo Min-bong, Cho Hun-hyun, Choi Yeon-hye, and Kim Jung-hoon.

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