'Human Renewal Barometer' United Future Party Begins PK·TK Nomination Interviews

At the Center of the Korean Party Overhaul... 3-Day PK and TK Interviews
PK Personnel Renewal Linked to Leader-Level General Election Decisions... TK Foresees Major Overhaul
Sharp Changes Expected After Interviews... Some Independent Candidacies Possible

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 18th, the day the United Future Party officially launched, candidate interviews began for the Busan-Gyeongnam (PK) and Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) regions, where personnel reshuffling remains a task. Candidates at the center of cutoffs (exclusion from nomination) and reshuffling gathered in large numbers at the National Assembly to face the Nomination Management Committee. It is expected that a full-scale nomination shake-up will begin once the interviews conclude.

The party's Nomination Management Committee conducted interviews starting at 10 a.m. at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Beginning with Busan Seo-gu and Dong-gu, candidates from eight districts including Jin-gu Gap, Jin-gu Eul, Dongnae-gu, Nam-gu Gap, Nam-gu Eul, Buk-gu Gangseo-gu Gap, and Haeundae-gu Eul were interviewed in the morning. In the afternoon, interviews for the remaining Busan areas, Ulsan, and Changwon in Gyeongnam took place. Interviews for Gyeongnam and the TK region are scheduled for the 19th and 20th.

PK is already the region with the most active personnel reshuffling, as nine incumbent lawmakers have declared they will not run. However, since Nomination Committee Chairman Kim Hyung-o has pledged large-scale reshuffling in both TK and PK, tension was palpable in the interview rooms. Incumbent lawmakers, including Lee Heun-seung, who represents Busanjin, also participated in the interviews without exception.

Personnel reshuffling in PK appears to hinge on the election decisions of leadership figures such as Kim Tae-ho and Hong Joon-pyo. In Hong’s case, it seems settled that he will run in Yangsan Eul, considered a difficult district in PK. He confirmed this by mentioning his move to Yangsan Eul on his Facebook, with only the Nomination Committee’s final decision remaining. Initially, Hong applied for nomination in the Milyang-Uiryeong-Haman-Changnyeong area but withdrew from interviews there and is now awaiting the Yangsan Eul interview.

However, former Gyeongnam Governor Kim emphasized until the day before that he remains committed to running in his hometown. This poses a headache for the Nomination Committee, which has made innovation and the sacrifice of leadership and senior lawmakers its banner. Excluding candidates without objective criteria could backfire, but allowing hometown candidacies as is could make it harder to persuade TK lawmakers, a bigger challenge.

Chairman Kim’s unusual praise on this day for lawmakers who declared they would not run is also interpreted as an effort to induce further withdrawals and emphasize the rationale for innovation. He said, "The declaration of not running is an act that personally practices responsibility and dedication, core conservative values that our party has been lacking," and added, "We will strive to ensure that this noble intention does not fade."

However, the TK region remains unmoved to this day. There are even reports that resistance is growing. A lawmaker from the TK region said, "There is actually a lawmaker who has decided to run as an independent."

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