Kim Jong-in, Whose Request for Nomination Reallocation Was Rejected, to Take on the Role of Campaign Committee Chair?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The demand for a reconsideration of candidate nominations by Kim Jong-in, former emergency committee chairman of the Democratic Party and a leading candidate for the Future United Party’s election committee chairman, has effectively been rejected. Having stated that "if there are aftereffects from the nominations, I cannot serve as election committee chairman," attention is focused on whether he will willingly accept the position. As the Future United Party plans to launch its election committee on the 16th, all eyes are on Kim’s decision.

On the 12th, Kim Hyung-oh, the nomination committee chairman, changed the single-candidate nominations in Incheon Yeonsu-eul and Daegu Dalseo-gap to primary elections. This was a partial acceptance of the party leadership’s request for reconsideration of nominations. Earlier, the party’s supreme council, including leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, requested the nomination committee to re-examine six districts, including Seoul Gangnam-eul and Busan Jin-gu-gap.

Leader Hwang, who initially promised to give the nomination committee full authority, requested reconsideration partly due to ongoing dissatisfaction within the party regarding nominations, but it also appears that Kim Jong-in’s demand for nomination changes influenced this. It was an attempt to shake the nomination committee to accommodate Kim as election committee chairman. However, the nomination committee only accepted about one-third of the requests.

It is unlikely that there will be further changes to nominations. On the 13th, after the 'Wuhan COVID-19 Emergency Economic Measures Meeting' held at the National Assembly main building, Leader Hwang told reporters, "We have expressed our opinions, but that does not mean an absolute conclusion can be reached," adding, "Considering that, I believe the nomination committee made its judgment, and it is not about absolute numbers." When asked if reconsideration was possible for Representative Kwon Seong-dong, who was cut off, he refrained from commenting, saying, "Let’s leave it at that."

Previously, in a media interview, Kim emphasized the need for nomination changes, stating, "If the aftereffects of nominations affect the election, I cannot serve as election committee chairman." However, with the withdrawal of candidate Choi Hong from Seoul Gangnam-eul and the proportional representation transfer of candidate Tae Young-ho from Gangnam-gap?both reportedly requested by Kim?not being realized, it remains uncertain whether he will take the election committee chairman position. Notably, candidate Tae was not included in the supreme council’s reconsideration list. Tae countered Kim’s criticism of his Gangnam nomination in the interview, saying it was "like stabbing a knife in the back of a candidate who is doing their utmost on the front lines."

Within the Future United Party, opinions are divided between claims that "there is no clear alternative to former Chairman Kim" and criticisms that his demands were unreasonable from the start. Since early this month, the party has planned to launch the election committee with Kim as co-chairman, but the launch has been delayed due to the election committee chairman position not being finalized. With only a month left until the general election, it is reported that the party will push to launch the election committee by the 16th at the latest.

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