'Honam Wall' Uncrossed... United Party Faces Mass Non-Nomination Crossroad

Only 9 Candidates Confirmed in 28 Honam Districts
Personnel Shortage Amid Lee Jeong-hyun and Jeong Un-cheon Defections

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The United Future Party ultimately failed to overcome the wall of Honam. With the registration for candidates in the April 15 general election just four days away, the party has yet to field candidates in most regions. If this situation persists until the registration dates of the 26th and 27th, a mass absence of nominations is highly likely to become a reality. This essentially means giving up on securing seats in the Honam region.

As of the results of the nominations conducted until the 23rd, the United Future Party has completed nominations in 232 out of 253 constituencies. The results of the primary elections for Incheon Yeonsu-eul and Daegu Dalseo-gap, where the party's top leadership requested a re-examination, will be announced on the 24th.

The remaining 19 constituencies are all in Honam, including Gwangju, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam. The United Future Party has confirmed candidates in only 9 out of 28 Honam constituencies. In Jeonnam, candidates have been fielded in 5 out of 10 constituencies, while only 2 candidates each have been nominated in Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonbuk. This contrasts with four years ago when candidates were fielded in all Honam constituencies except for two.

The biggest reason the United Future Party has not fielded candidates is the lack of applicants. There are no suitable figures for strategic nominations either. Earlier, Lee Seok-yeon, acting chairman of the party's nomination committee, said, "Nominations for constituencies outside Honam are practically complete. However, since there are no applicants in Honam yet, the process remains open," adding, "If there are none, we cannot delay any longer in Honam."

This appears to be an extension of the personnel difficulties that plagued the nomination committee throughout this process. Under Kim Hyung-o's leadership, the committee succeeded in a large-scale overhaul but showed limitations in filling the vacancies, such as relocating former lawmakers and senior incumbents. Former nomination committee chairman Kim Hyung-o described this as a "desperate measure in the face of a shortage of talent," saying, "We have paid a harsh price for failing to nurture people over time." There were even fewer candidates willing to challenge in the party's difficult terrain of Honam.

Even incumbent lawmakers who were active in the last general election have left Honam. Lee Jung-hyun, who was elected in Suncheon, Jeonnam with 44% of the vote, left the party and threw his hat into the ring in the metropolitan area. Jung Woon-chun left Jeonju-eul, Jeonbuk, and is aiming to enter the National Assembly as a proportional representative of the Future Korea Party. The party's focal point has thus disappeared. Earlier, the party's nomination committee considered placing heavyweight incumbent lawmakers in Honam, but it is known that this plan was ultimately scrapped due to internal disagreements.

Failing to field candidates despite claiming to be a nationwide party reveals the party's poor reality as it begins the competition. The election battle for the nine candidates who have struggled to challenge Honam will inevitably be even tougher. This contrasts with the Democratic Party of Korea, which is showing confidence by fielding candidates in all areas of Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK), considered difficult regions.

The acting chairman of the nomination committee previously requested the party's support for Honam nominations, expressing concern: "At least local constituency candidates must be fielded. This relates to the overall vote share in Honam and the need to attract voters in Honam who are critical of the current administration, as well as influencing the voting sentiment of Honam-origin voters in the metropolitan area, which accounts for 35%."

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