People Party's Proportional Candidates Without Innovation... Ahn's Close Associates Lee Tae-gyu and Kwon Eun-hee Placed 2nd and 3rd

Criticism Pours In on Homepage, Including "Is Loyalty the Concept?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The People’s Party has finalized the list of proportional representation candidates for the 21st National Assembly election. However, with former lawmaker Lee Tae-gyu, a close aide of party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, placed at number 2 and lawmaker Kwon Eun-hee at number 3, there are criticisms both inside and outside the party that the expected innovative nominations are far from reality.

On the 23rd, a People’s Party official said, "Placing one or two re-elected or three-term lawmakers within the winning range is good for the party’s balance going forward, and their contributions and capabilities to the party were the best," adding, "Please understand this as an unavoidable limitation of a party that only nominates proportional representatives."

Former lawmaker Lee entered the National Assembly as a proportional representative during the 20th term and is aiming for re-election again through proportional representation. After the court halted the Bareunmirae Party’s self-expulsion of proportional representatives, Lee resigned from his lawmaker position. Lawmaker Kwon initially planned to run in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, but switched to proportional representation after the People’s Party decided not to field a district candidate.

The People’s Party explained that these individuals were selected as more responsible figures who will fight against the entrenched powers of the two major parties and pioneer and expand practical centrist politics. However, the People’s Party website was flooded with criticism such as, "There is no innovation visible, only Ahn Cheol-soo’s closest aides holding onto their positions," "In one word, it’s self-nomination," "I feel a sense of self-disgust for supporting Ahn Cheol-soo all this time just to see this," and "Is loyalty the concept?"

Jeong Yeon-jeong, chairperson of the proportional representation candidate recommendation committee, explained at a briefing following the Supreme Council meeting that day, "The issue of the incumbent premium does not refer to a premium on the results. Through intense discussions within the nomination management committee, the two incumbent lawmakers were evaluated even more harshly," adding, "Also, the People’s Party has only two incumbent lawmakers. Considering the party’s leadership and election response capabilities, there is no reason to discriminate against the incumbents." Earlier, Chairperson Jeong had stated on the 15th that there would be no premium for incumbent lawmakers.

The number 1 proportional representative candidate is Choi Yeon-sook, head nurse at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu. Dongsan Hospital, where Choi works, is where party leader Ahn recently spent two weeks volunteering for COVID-19 treatment. Number 4 is Kim Geun-tae, former head of the Seoul National University branch of the National Democratic Youth Union, who led last year’s 'Resign Cho Kuk' rally at Seoul National University. Number 5 is Choi Dan-bi, a professor at Wonkwang University Law School who served as spokesperson for Ahn’s camp during the 2018 local elections when he ran for Seoul mayor. Kim Do-sik, Ahn’s closest aide and party leader’s secretary general, was placed at number 6, a position with a chance of election. Meanwhile, young candidates were pushed to lower numbers. Kim Ye-rim (34), party deputy spokesperson, Jang Soo-kyung (44), lawyer, and Jeong Gwang-ho (36), vice chairman of the policy committee, were placed at numbers 9, 13, and 16 respectively.

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