野 "Preventing Adverse Selection" on the Brink of Explosion... "Jung Hong-won Must Step Down," "Is Honam Companionship a Lie?"

Yoo Seung-min "Jung Hong-won Trying to Create Primary Rules for Yoon Seok-yeol"
Hong Joon-pyo "Changing Primary Rules Without Candidates' Consent Is Treason"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Internal conflicts within the People Power Party over the anti-reverse selection clause are worsening. There have even been calls for the resignation of Election Commissioner Jeong Hong-won.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 31st, stating, "They are trying to create primary election rules solely for candidate Yoon Seok-yeol," and criticized, "The Primary Election Preparation Committee and the Supreme Council have already finalized the primary election rules, but they are arbitrarily revising them to include an anti-reverse selection clause." Yoo Seung-min's campaign issued a separate statement demanding, "Commissioner Jeong, immediately after his appointment, has been desperate to completely overturn this and distort our party's primary into a mere formality for a specific candidate," and called for his resignation. They also demanded, "If he does not resign, he must now pledge before the public and party members to thoroughly uphold the principles of 'neutrality' and 'fairness.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoo's side raised issues regarding Commissioner Jeong's past interview where he stated he supports one of the three candidates?Yoon Seok-yeol, Choi Jae-hyung, or Kim Dong-yeon?as well as his meeting with former Prosecutor General Yoon in early August and his statements after assuming the election commissioner role. In particular, Commissioner Jeong said through the media, "The primary election rules prepared by the Primary Election Preparation Committee (PEPC) are just one proposal," and "The Election Commission will review the PEPC proposal entirely, make adjustments, or replace it with something else."

The PEPC, formed prior to the Election Commission, concluded not to introduce an anti-reverse selection clause related to the public opinion polls, which account for 50% of the presidential primary. On the other hand, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung have raised concerns about possible manipulation of polls by Democratic Party supporters and are demanding the introduction of an anti-reverse selection clause. They propose conducting polls only among the non-partisan group and People Power Party supporters. Conversely, former lawmaker Yoo and lawmaker Hong have opposed the introduction of the anti-reverse selection clause, citing concerns about expansion in the presidential election and arguing that it could trap their support base.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo also warned via social media, "In 1980, Reagan, a Republican, became president with massive support from Democratic voters," and added, "If the newly formed party primary committee tries to overturn the primary rules already finalized by the PEPC and ratified by the Supreme Council without the consent of all candidates through some manipulation, it is nothing but an act of treason aimed at destroying the primary and ruining the presidential election." Regarding claims of reverse selection against him amid his rising support in Honam and other regions, Hong criticized, "Was all the talk about accompanying Honam by the party so far just a lie?"

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