Gwangju and Jeonnam's Only Democratic Party Supreme Council Member Candidate, Representative Yang Hyang-ja's 'Declaration of Candidacy'

First Schedule: Paying Respects at the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery

Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is paying respects at the Gwangju 5·18 Democratic Cemetery on the 22nd as her first official campaign schedule for the party's Supreme Council member election. Photo by Yang Hyang-ja's office

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Representative Yang Hyang-ja (The Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Seo-gu Eul) has announced her candidacy for the Democratic Party's Supreme Council member and officially entered the election battle.

According to the Democratic Party Central Election Commission on the 22nd, among the lawmakers representing the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, Yang Hyang-ja is the only candidate registered for this Supreme Council election.

In this election, 10 candidates have registered, including ▲Former Democratic Party Floor Leader Lee Won-wook ▲Representative Lee Jae-jung ▲Representative Yang Hyang-ja ▲Former Democratic Party Secretary-General Noh Woong-rae ▲Yeom Tae-young, Chairman of the National Association of Mayors, County Heads, and District Heads ▲Former Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Han Byung-do ▲Former Presidential Spokesperson Kim Jong-min ▲Former Secretary-General of the Democratic Party World Korean Democratic Assembly Jeong Kwang-il ▲Former Incheon Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs Shin Dong-geun ▲Former Democratic Party 2nd Deputy Secretary-General So Byung-hoon.

With more than nine candidates registered, the Central Committee will narrow the field down to eight through a primary election on the 24th, and on the 29th of next month, five Supreme Council members along with the party leader will be decided through an online vote.

Additionally, the newly appointed party leader will appoint two members, making a total of seven Supreme Council members active.

As her first official campaign schedule for the Supreme Council election, Representative Yang paid respects at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju on the morning of the day.

Before the visit, she wrote in the guestbook, "I will open an era of shared prosperity with the spirit of Gwangju," reaffirming her determination.

Representative Yang said, "There should be at least one expert in the party leadership who takes care of the economy and future industries," adding, "I will become a political engineer who leads the Moon Jae-in New Deal to success by bringing expertise in advanced industries and globally recognized technological capabilities into the party leadership."

Yang Hyang-ja was elected in the 21st National Assembly election, defeating seven-term candidate Cheon Jeong-bae with a 75.83% vote share. Born in Hwasun, Jeonnam, she joined Samsung Electronics while attending Gwangju Girls' Commercial High School and was promoted to executive vice president. She joined the party in 2016 as a recruitment case by then Democratic Party leader Moon Jae-in.

She also served as the former vice-chair of the Democratic Party's Japan Economic Aggression Countermeasures Special Committee and is currently a member of the 21st National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Special Committee and the Planning and Finance Committee.

Meanwhile, in the local political circles, considering that many of the Gwangju and Jeonnam lawmakers who entered the National Assembly through the 21st general election are first-term members, there is a strong public opinion hoping that Representative Yang will enter the Supreme Council and secure the region's political standing.

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