Ahn Cheol-soo and Geum Tae-seop to Begin Practical Negotiations for 'Third Zone Primary' This Week

Meeting at the National Assembly on the 4th at 5 PM to discuss the third zone primary for about 30 minutes

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, and former independent lawmaker Geum Tae-seop met on the afternoon of the 4th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, to negotiate a unification method for the 'third zone' and shook hands. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, and former independent lawmaker Geum Tae-seop are set to begin practical negotiations for the 'third zone primary' for the Seoul mayoral by-election as early as the 5th, just one day away. The third zone plans to complete unification before the People Power Party’s primary ends on March 4.

On the 4th at 5 p.m., Ahn and former lawmaker Geum met at the National Assembly and discussed the third zone primary for about 30 minutes.

At this meeting, they confirmed each other’s opinions on the third zone primary and agreed to proceed with practical team negotiations. Regarding questions about the polling method and debate format, Ahn explained, "The detailed matters will be discussed between the practical teams."

The practical team negotiations are expected to begin as early as the 5th. Ahn said, "We will not delay the schedule," adding, "I think it will probably be done before the 6th." Former lawmaker Geum said, "We can start from the 5th."

The third zone primary is planned to be completed around the end of this month to early next month. The People Power Party has announced that it will finalize its candidate on March 4. Ahn said, "I think it will be completed around late February to early March, similarly or even faster than the People Power Party."

Former lawmaker Geum expressed the view that debates and other activities should start before the Lunar New Year holiday to maintain public interest. He said, "For the opposition to win the election, the current interest must be maintained, so I told Ahn that it would be good to start debates or something before the Lunar New Year."

He continued, "We need to show the exchange of opinions and debates. It’s not about who has an advantage?whether me, Ahn, or other candidates?but this process is essential for unification to be effective and ultimately to win the election," emphasizing, "It should be conducted broadly, deeply, and seriously enough to attract voters’ interest."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party will announce the four candidates advancing to the main primary for the by-election on the 5th.

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