Both Ruling and Opposition Parties Favor Legal Professionals...72 Compete for Parliamentary Seats

Legal Professionals Dominate Nominations,
With 37 from the Democratic Party and 35 from the United Future Party
Lee Sujin vs. Na Kyungwon in Dongjak-eul,
Kim Yongmin vs. Joo Kwangdeok in Namyangju-byeong
Nearly 20 Journalists Nominated,
Former MBC Employees Stand Out
Stark Contrast in Business Figures Between Parties,
United Future Party Lags Behind

[Asia Economy, Kim Hyemin and Won Dara] Among those confirmed as candidates for local constituencies in the upcoming April 15 general election, there is an overwhelming number of former legal professionals, such as prosecutors and judges. Journalists, especially those with broadcasting backgrounds, are also prominent. In the Democratic Party, many candidates have activist backgrounds, such as former student council presidents, while in the United Future Party, there are many former heads of local governments and conservative civic group leaders, highlighting a clear difference between the two parties.

◆About 1 to 2 out of every 10 are 'legal professionals'...Concerns about overrepresentation=An analysis of the professions of those confirmed as candidates by the Democratic Party and the United Future Party so far shows that, including incumbents, there are 72 candidates with legal backgrounds. The Democratic Party has 37, and the United Future Party has 35. Even excluding incumbents, there are about 40 challengers from both parties combined. This means that about 1 to 2 out of every 10 candidates are from the legal field.

Legal professionals have consistently been courted by the political world in the past, with conservative parties in particular showing a preference for candidates with legal backgrounds. However, this time, both the ruling and opposition parties have made efforts to recruit legal professionals, and many in the legal field have entered politics regardless of party affiliation. This trend appears to have been fueled by the fact that major political issues last year were centered on the legal community.

The starting point was the judicial corruption allegations during the Park Geun-hye administration. Subsequently, during the Moon Jae-in administration, the push for the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and the police led to divisions not only in the political world but also within the legal community. In addition, the investigation into Cho Kuk and the subsequent prosecution appointments by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae provided further justification for legal professionals to run in the general election, according to widespread opinion.

In Dongjak-eul, Seoul, a contest has formed between former judges. Lee Sujin, a former judge who exposed the judicial corruption scandal, has taken off her robe to run as the Democratic Party candidate. The long-standing incumbent in this district is Na Kyungwon of the United Future Party, a formidable opponent who was the first female floor leader of a conservative party. In Namyangju-byeong, Gyeonggi Province, a legal professional showdown is expected over the 'Cho Kuk incident.' Kim Yongmin, a lawyer who served on the Prosecution Reform Committee during Cho Kuk's tenure as Minister of Justice, has been nominated as the Democratic Party candidate, while Joo Kwangdeok, who was active during Cho Kuk's confirmation hearings, has been confirmed as the United Future Party candidate.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Journalists also stand out...Business figures show stark contrasts=Excluding incumbents, 13 journalists from both parties have been confirmed as candidates. If those still awaiting party primaries are included, the number could increase.

In particular, a large number of former MBC employees are set to run. In the United Future Party, Bae Hyunjin, a former MBC anchor, has been nominated for Songpa-eul, Seoul, and Kim Eunhye, another former MBC anchor, has been nominated for Bundang-gap, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province. Park Yongchan, former director of MBC's current affairs production bureau, has secured the nomination for Yeongdeungpo-eul, Seoul, and is actively campaigning. In the Democratic Party, Han Junho, a former MBC announcer, has been confirmed as the candidate for Goyang-eul, Gyeonggi Province.

Some analysts suggest that the frequent internal power struggles at broadcasting companies, which tend to occur whenever there is a change in administration, have made these organizations vulnerable to external influences, contributing to this trend. The fact that Bae Hyunjin and Shin Kyungmin of the Democratic Party entered politics was also greatly influenced by the change in administration. Since their profession involves appearing before the public, their eloquence and appealing appearance can attract voters, which is another reason why political parties are eager to recruit journalists.

Although both parties have prioritized economic recovery, the outcomes have been quite different. While the Democratic Party has recruited prominent business figures such as Hong Sungkook, former CEO of Daewoo Securities, and Lee Yongwoo, CEO of KakaoBank, the United Future Party has no particularly notable candidates in this area. Business leaders such as Kim Mikyun, CEO of Zizion, and Choi Hong, former CEO of Macquarie Asset Management, who specialize in the economic sector, initially secured nominations but later had them withdrawn, facing setbacks instead.

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