Na Kyung-won to 'Decide Soon' on Party Leader Candidacy... "Considering Roles Including Baekui Jonggun"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won is having her 'final 고민' over whether to run for party leader. Considering that the candidate registration day is the 22nd, she is expected to make an official announcement within this week. As Na's decision is seen as the biggest variable in the party leader election, Yeouido is closely watching her words.

On the 17th, Na appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' and said, "Starting from 백의종군, there is a role of supporting behind the scenes, not as a hero but as an unnamed person, during the party convention." She added, "It's a very difficult position, so I am having my final 고민 about which role I should take."

Na is reportedly deliberating on running for party leader at the convention. According to People Power Party officials, Na has called some lawmakers to ask for their opinions about her potential candidacy.

However, as the direction toward running for party leader becomes clearer, Na has been actively preparing behind the scenes, including looking for an office in Yeouido. Na said, "There are preparations being made by the staff," and added, "Having an office in Yeouido has its advantages, so you can think of it in that way."

Na's announcement is expected to take place within this week, as the candidate registration day for the People Power Party convention is on the 22nd. Especially since the 19th is Buddha's Birthday, the announcement is likely to be made on the 20th or 21st. Na also explained, "I will gather more opinions and decide soon."

Na has been showing a leading position in various recent polls regarding suitability for party leader. Analysts say that if her high recognition is combined with relatively strong support from party members, her election victory could be likely.

However, she drew a line regarding the intra-party 'Yeongnam Party' controversy. Although there was controversy that the party leader should be from a non-Yeongnam region after Kim Ki-hyun, a Yeongnam native, was elected as acting party leader and floor leader, it is practically difficult to win the election without Yeongnam support. Na, who is from the 수도권 (capital region), said, "Dividing too much into Yeongnam and non-Yeongnam is not good; rather, I think it is better to talk about expansion."

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