[Summary] Opposition Criticizes Ruling Party's Decision on 'Seoul and Busan Mayoral Nominations' as "Fickle Party" and "Party Rules Like a Candy Seller"

86% Party Member Vote in Favor of 'Seoul·Busan By-election Nomination'
Opposition: "No End in Sight to Victim-Perpetrator Conflict", "President Moon Should State Position"

Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party of Korea on the 2nd for deciding through a party-wide vote to amend the party constitution and nominate candidates for the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections scheduled for April next year, calling it a "morning-to-evening changing party" and "Yeotjangsu party constitution and regulations."

Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, said in response to reporters' questions after the emergency committee meeting on the 2nd, "It is hard for all of us to understand whether it is appropriate to make promises to the people, only to overturn them by a vote of party members," and pointed out that "the Democratic Party has lost its integrity."

On the same day, Seong Il-jong, a member of the People Power Party, said at the emergency committee meeting, "President Moon Jae-in should clarify his position on next year's 'sexual crime by-election,'" and criticized, "The Democratic Party, which has no fairness or justice as long as it gets votes, is a morning-to-evening changing party."

Earlier that morning, the Democratic Party announced that 86.64% of party members voted in favor in the party-wide vote to nominate candidates for the Seoul and Busan mayoral elections in April next year.

Accordingly, the Democratic Party plans to proceed with the party constitution amendment process by adding a proviso that "it can be otherwise decided by a party-wide vote" to the current party constitution regulation that states, "If an elected official belonging to the party loses their position due to serious misconduct such as corruption, no candidate will be recommended for the by-election in the relevant electoral district." At a briefing that day, spokesperson Choi In-ho said, "We plan to hold the party central committee on the 3rd to complete the amendment of the party constitution."

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at an urgent press briefing condemning the Democratic Party's shameless nomination flip-flop held at the National Assembly on the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The opposition parties have voiced criticism over this. They pointed out that the Democratic Party's party-wide vote has gone beyond 'secondary harm' to victims and has become 'tertiary harm.'

On the same day, Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the People Power Party, released a statement saying, "The party constitution that states 'no public office candidate will be nominated when there is a self-responsible cause' has been overridden by a party-wide vote," and sarcastically asked, "With as much as 86%, is it some kind of mass hypnosis?"

Bae said, "The sexual violence allegations against the Democratic Party-affiliated mayors of Seoul and Busan are 'primary harm.' The attacks by supporters on the victims are 'secondary harm.' Now, all Democratic Party members have stepped up to overturn the party constitution and nominate candidates, causing 'tertiary harm' to the victims," and strongly criticized, "If voters now vote for these Democratic Party candidates, that will be 'quaternary harm.'"

He continued, "The ruthless harm toward victims shows no end. Where is the final destination of the 'Nth harm' for the sake of a goal?" and emphasized, "Did Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon 'impudently' overturn President Moon Jae-in's will? If President Moon has not approved the series of measures that overturn the so-called 'Moon Jae-in clause,' he should express regret."

Kim Ki-hyun, also from the same party, argued that President Moon should directly state his position. He appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" that day and said, "(The party constitution) was heavily promoted and publicly declared as a major innovation when President Moon was party leader, but it has never been implemented and is being flipped like turning over a palm," and pointed out, "At least President Moon should say something about this."

Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, also wrote on his Facebook, "Interference in the Ulsan mayoral election or the 'Druking' case were acts of constitutional destruction but were crimes by some factions," and criticized, "But this is an act that implicates all party members as accomplices." He added, "If the party constitution and regulations are changed conveniently whenever it suits, it is no longer a political party."

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