People Power Party "Regret over 'Non-Implementation' of By-Election in Gyeongnam Province... Acting Authority System Has Limitations"

Former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo is greeting his aides on the afternoon of the 26th, the day of his incarceration, at Changwon Prison in Masanhwoewon-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The People Power Party expressed regret over the decision by the Gyeongsangnam-do Election Commission not to hold a by-election for the governor.

On the 27th, Hwang Bo-seung-hee, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated, "We express regret over the Election Commission's decision that neglects the damage to the residents caused by the administrative vacancy," and criticized it as "a decision that excessively overlooks the benefits of normalizing provincial administration."

On the same day, the Gyeongnam Election Commission decided not to hold a by-election for the Gyeongnam governor position, which became vacant due to the imprisonment of former Governor Kim Kyung-soo. The commission cited increased social burden on quarantine measures due to the resurgence of COVID-19, residents' safety concerns, the fact that the election would be held eight months later, and the election cost of 30.2 billion KRW as reasons for this decision.

Chief spokesperson Hwang criticized, "The election law revised last December allows up to two by-elections annually only for local government heads," adding, "This acknowledges the extremely important role of local government heads, yet the Election Commission made a decision that undermines the very purpose of the law."

He pointed out, "As seen in the cases of Seoul and Busan, the ‘acting authority system’ alongside former governors who lost legitimacy inevitably has limitations, which raises concerns about the future administration of Gyeongnam Province."

Responsibility was also raised regarding the judiciary, including Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo. Chief spokesperson Hwang stated, "The regime’s stalling, led by the Kim Myung-soo judiciary, is no different from causing today’s situation," and asserted, "Someone must clearly take responsibility for causing the current situation."

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