Nomination Controversy Settled with 'Kim Hyung-o Resignation'... The Spark Still Remains

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] About a month before the April 15 general election, the nomination controversy within the United Future Party seems to have settled with the resignation of Kim Hyung-o, the chairman of the nomination committee. Although there were rumors about the dissolution of the nomination committee, the party's supreme council recognized the 'Lee Seok-yeon nomination committee' system. However, the issue remains as senior figures like former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo continue to run as independents.

On the evening of the 13th, the United Future Party's supreme council issued a statement saying, "The controversy over nominations can never discourage us. Rather, it can be an opportunity for a final check to strengthen our competitiveness," and added, "We ask Vice Chairman Lee Seok-yeon to lead the nomination committee well following Chairman Kim Hyung-o and fulfill the mission of innovative and unified nominations."

That morning, Chairman Kim withdrew the nomination of candidate Kim Mi-gyun for Gangnam-byeong and resigned, taking responsibility as the representative of the nomination committee for nominating a figure involved in the 'pro-Moon Jae-in controversy' in the party's key district, Gangnam-byeong. However, many do not view his resignation as solely due to this incident. Rather, it appears he took responsibility amid recent nomination controversies and allegations of 'secret nominations' shaking the Kim Hyung-o nomination committee. Notably, the supreme council's request for a re-examination of six nominations, including those involved in the secret nomination controversy, played a significant role.

Immediately after Chairman Kim's resignation, rumors about the dissolution of the nomination committee circulated. Former leader Hong also posted on his Facebook that day, saying, "They shamelessly insist on continuing the nomination work after conducting a sham nomination, with only their lackeys left," and added, "If they have any sense, they should all resign now, form an emergency committee, and complete the nomination process properly while promptly correcting the flawed sham nominations." However, since the supreme council expressed acceptance of the Lee Seok-yeon nomination committee in its statement, it seems unlikely that the committee will be dissolved.

Although the resignation of Chairman Kim appears to have resolved the conflicts surrounding nominations for now, the issue remains volatile. With the launch of the election campaign committee imminent, there are reports that Kim Jong-in, former emergency committee chairman of the Democratic Party and a leading candidate for the campaign committee chairman, is demanding further nomination changes. Recently, Tae Yong-ho, former North Korean ambassador to the UK, who was nominated for Gangnam-gap, was called a "national disgrace" in an interview, prompting floor leader Shim Jae-chul to officially demand an apology.

Independent candidacies in defiance of the nomination results continue. Former leader Hong has officially declared his independent candidacy in Daegu, and senior figures such as Representative Yoon Sang-hyun and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Tae-ho are running as independents in Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Daegu. Representatives Lee Ju-young and Kim Jae-kyung, who were cut off from nominations, have requested re-examinations and hinted at independent runs. Former Representative Min Hyun-joo, who was initially nominated for Incheon Yeonsu-eul but later had the result overturned, has also hinted at running as an independent, raising concerns about the splitting of conservative votes across various constituencies.

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