'Yeongnam vs Bi-Yeongnam' People Power Party Leader... The Variable is Na Kyung-won

Ulsan Kim Gi-hyeon Elected Floor Leader
Hong Moon-pyo and Others Advocate Regional Balance Theory
Joo Ho-young Objects, Calling It "Frame Making"
Ra Expected to Announce Candidacy Soon

Kim Ki-hyun, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Juni Park] Following the Democratic Party of Korea, the People Power Party's race for the next party leadership has officially begun. The Preparatory Committee for the Party Convention is expected to be launched soon, and declarations of candidacy from party leadership contenders are anticipated to be announced one after another this week. The key issue is how much the ‘regional balance theory’ will influence the process of selecting the next party leader.

On the 3rd, Representative Hong Moon-pyo (Chungnam Hongseong-Yesan, 4 terms) held a press conference at the National Assembly and officially declared his bid for party leadership. Representative Hong stated, "I will become a party leader who practices pragmatic reform through action," and added, "Through the anti-Moon Jae-in front belt, I will bring all opposition candidates into the party to create a unified opposition candidate for the presidential election." He appealed that he is the most advantageous candidate to lay the foundation for winning the presidential election.

Representative Hong, who is from outside the Yeongnam region, is a key figure in the regional balance theory. Since the newly appointed floor leader Kim Ki-hyun is from Yeongnam (Ulsan), there is an opinion within the party that Representative Hong is suitable in terms of ‘expandability’ in preparation for the presidential election. Other candidates from outside Yeongnam preparing to run include Kwon Young-se (Seoul Yongsan, 4 terms) and Kim Woong (Seoul Songpa, first term).

On the other hand, Yeongnam-origin representatives are expressing reluctance. Representative Cho Kyung-tae (Busan Saha, 5 terms), who is expected to announce his candidacy this week, held a press conference the day before and criticized, "Those who mention the theory that a Yeongnam party leader is impossible are fostering regionalism and restricting party members' right to choose." Former floor leader and one of the leading party leader candidates Joo Ho-young (Daegu Suseong, 5 terms) also described it as "an act of creating a political frame that shrinks oneself." Representatives Yoon Young-seok (3 terms), who plans to declare candidacy on the 6th, and Cho Hae-jin (3 terms), who announced his candidacy on the 23rd of last month, are also from Yeongnam.

Meanwhile, if former floor leader Na Kyung-won officially declares her candidacy, the situation could be significantly shaken. Since former Representative Na, based in Seoul and enjoying strong support from party members, could greatly empower the presidential candidate if she becomes party leader, there is such an opinion. It is reported that former Representative Na is highly likely to officially declare her candidacy once the Preparatory Committee for the Party Convention is formed.

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