Rush of Independent Candidacies from United Party... Will It Become an Election Variable in Yeongnam Region?

Four including Hong Jun-pyo and Kim Tae-ho Already Declared... Concerns Over Vote Splitting in Party Primary
Hardline 'No Reinstatement' Policy Proposed but Criticized for Lack of Practicality

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The number of incumbent lawmakers who were excluded from the United Future Party's nomination and are running as independents is increasing. In particular, as opposition to the nominations grows mainly in the Yeongnam region, where the scale of replacement was large, there is an analysis that warning lights have been turned on even in the Yeongnam elections, which have been classified as a relative stronghold. The party itself is also concerned about the possibility of vote splitting.

So far, a total of seven incumbent or prominent figures from the party have announced their independent candidacy. Starting with Representative Yoon Sang-hyun, former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Tae-ho, former leader Hong Joon-pyo, and Representatives Kwon Seong-dong, Kwak Dae-hoon, Jeong Tae-ok, and Lee Hyun-jae have declared their independent runs. Among them, four are running in the Yeongnam region.

Representatives Lee Ju-young, Kim Jae-kyung, Baek Seung-joo, and Kim Seok-ki have also protested the party's cut-off (nomination exclusion) and have announced plans to run as independents. All of them are incumbent lawmakers from the Yeongnam region, meaning there could be as many as eight independent candidates from Yeongnam alone. Representative Kim Han-pyo, who was weighing an independent run, accepted the party's decision on the 19th and announced he would not run in the general election.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

For the United Future Party, their independent candidacies are a worrying factor that could become the biggest variable in the Yeongnam elections. This is because internal competition could ultimately create a favorable environment for the Democratic Party of Korea.

Other areas in Yeongnam, especially Gumi, which suffered a crushing defeat in the last local elections, are not safe either. Former Public Official Nomination Committee Chairman Kim Hyung-oh's resignation and subsequent separate statement criticizing that "leaving the party and running as an independent only hands victory to the ruling party" is also related to this.

Because of this, there are even talks within the party about embedding a 'ban on rejoining' in the party constitution. In fact, Acting Chairman of the Public Official Nomination Committee Lee Seok-yeon plans to propose this to Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn. However, some say the likelihood of implementation is low and that independent candidates will not take it as a warning. A United Future Party official said, "To secure the 100 seats needed to block constitutional amendments and the 150 seats needed to propose them, we will have no choice but to join forces with those who return alive."

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