"Seen as Neglect Theory"... Hwang Kyo-ahn Meeting TK Lawmakers All Day

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, will hold a day-long private meeting with Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) lawmakers a day before the cut-off (nomination exclusion) public opinion survey. This meeting was arranged immediately after TK lawmakers openly protested the higher cut-off rate compared to other regions. Attention is focused on whether Hwang’s persuasion on the need for strong reform will mark the beginning of nomination disputes or serve as an opportunity to resolve conflicts.

On the 4th, Hwang will have lunch with Daegu lawmakers and dinner with Gyeongbuk lawmakers near Yeouido. Although this is the first meeting arranged by Hwang to hear opinions by region and standing committee ahead of the general election, the timing suggests that cut-off and nomination issues will be the main topics of discussion.

The party’s nomination committee had agreed to differentiate the cut-off application rates by region. This was a standard set by the general election planning team before the nomination committee was formed. The planning team conveyed the opinion that cut-off rates should vary by region to the nomination committee, which accepted it. A planning team official explained, "Given the decision to pursue a strong reform replacing half of the incumbent lawmakers, there was consensus that the cut-off criteria for the Yeongnam region and difficult districts cannot be the same." This means that since winning is easier compared to difficult districts, the nomination process should be stricter.

However, when rumors spread that the replacement rate for TK lawmakers would exceed half, reaching 60-70%, TK lawmakers began to openly express dissatisfaction. At a lawmakers’ meeting on the 30th of last month, dissatisfaction exploded, reportedly leading to collective protest. Complaints such as "Every election, we are pushed into reform targets without any criteria," and "Why are we being treated like criminals?" poured out. Eventually, as signs emerged that TK lawmakers’ dissatisfaction could escalate into internal party conflict, Hwang decided to hold a meeting to appease them.

The key point to watch is how harshly TK lawmakers will speak out in their face-to-face meeting with Hwang. So far, there are no known moves to raise a collective voice. One TK lawmaker said, "We will take turns saying what we want, but can we expect sharp words? The atmosphere is that we already said everything we wanted at the last meeting."

It is also crucial how well Hwang can persuade TK lawmakers to follow the party’s nomination policy. Depending on this meeting, the backlash may subside, but the possibility of it intensifying cannot be ruled out. A Liberty Korea Party official said, "It would be a burden for the party to have conflicts arise from the early stages of the nomination process."

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