Kim Seon-dong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, Resigns... Potential 'Seoul Mayoral Candidate'? (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Seon-dong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, has resigned. As he is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election scheduled for April next year, he showed his intention to step down from a position that could pose a conflict of interest. As the People Power Party established a by-election preparation committee, conflicts of interest have followed, leading to the emergence of potential Seoul mayoral candidates within the party one after another.

A People Power Party official said in a phone call with Asia Economy on the 14th, "I understand that Secretary General Kim has already conveyed his intention to resign to Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in." Secretary General Kim was an ex officio member of the by-election preparation committee launched on the 12th, but concerns about conflicts of interest arose as he is being mentioned as a candidate for Seoul mayor. Reports have also emerged that he already has an office in Mapo and is preparing for the primary.

Kim Sang-hoon, a People Power Party lawmaker who is chairing the by-election primary preparation committee, appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the morning of the same day and said, "I understand that the Secretary General is currently serving as an ex officio member," adding, "If he clearly intends to run, he should voluntarily resign from the primary preparation committee."

He explained, "Since this is a committee that sets the primary rules, it is not desirable for a player to be part of the refereeing team," and added, "If he intends to run as a candidate in next year's by-election, he should first resign not only from his position on the primary preparation committee but also from any positions that could cause misunderstandings."

Regarding Park Soo-young, a first-term lawmaker who was also mentioned in connection with conflicts of interest, he distanced himself from rumors of running for Busan mayor and took steps to resolve the issue. Through Facebook the previous evening, he said, "I was appointed as a member of the primary preparation committee that decides the rules for selecting our party's candidate," and added, "As a referee who makes the rules, please no longer mention me as a candidate for Busan mayor." Park stated, "Next year's by-election is not only an election that will determine the survival of the People Power Party but also an election on which the fate of the Republic of Korea depends. Please share your valuable opinions on primary rules that can select a winning candidate," expressing his intention to focus on his role in the by-election preparation committee rather than running.

Potential Seoul mayoral candidates are declining to join the preparation committee or voluntarily resigning, unintentionally revealing themselves as potential contenders. A representative case is Ji Sang-wook, director of the Yeouido Institute, who voluntarily resigned from the preparation committee the day before, sparking rumors of his Seoul mayoral candidacy. Another potential Seoul mayoral candidate, former lawmaker Oh Shin-hwan, said in a media interview, "I was offered a position on the primary preparation committee but declined," adding, "I thought it should be fair from the start as the situation could change at any time," indicating his intention to run.

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