As Local Election Warning Lights Turn On, 'Veteran Candidate Draft' Emerges in the Democratic Party

Yun Hojung "All Party Human Resources Must Be Fully Mobilized"
Rapid Change in Public Opinion Landscape Since Last Local Elections
Seeking Solutions Through Focus on Individuals

Park Ji-hyun, Co-Chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 30th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Oh Ju-yeon] Two months ahead of the local elections, there is a growing call within the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for senior members to be drafted. The voices argue that senior figures should step up to overcome the shortage of candidates.

A DPK official said on the 31st, "Within the party, there are calls for senior members to take the lead regarding the June 1 local elections," adding, "To win the local elections, we need to focus on strong candidates, and senior, multi-term lawmakers are experienced and have already been vetted." The official continued, "There are voices suggesting that it would be good for senior lawmakers to actively show their willingness to dedicate themselves."

Yoon Ho-jung, the DPK Emergency Response Committee Chairman, also mentioned at the emergency committee meeting held the previous day, "The Democratic Party will mobilize all human resources of the party with a resolve of life-or-death," and "All leaders of the Democratic Party have a duty to respond to the requests of the people and the party." The party plans to put forward its top figures as candidates for metropolitan local governments to emphasize candidate competitiveness.

Within the DPK, there are already calls to draft former party leader Song Young-gil, who resigned taking responsibility for the presidential election defeat, as the Seoul mayoral candidate. Furthermore, there are arguments that even former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, who has been laying low since the presidential loss, should be brought back. Additionally, cautious discussions are emerging within the party about the roles of other presidential hopefuls such as former leader Lee Nak-yeon and former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.

The DPK’s move to mobilize all leading figures for this local election is interpreted as a determination to defend the overwhelming victory it achieved in the previous local elections. In the last election, the DPK won in 14 out of 17 metropolitan autonomous regions. However, in last year’s April 7 by-elections, the party lost the mayoral seats of Seoul and Busan, and in the recent presidential election, it only showed strength in Honam, Gyeonggi, Jeju, and Sejong. If the party fails to reverse the mood or suffers defeat in the local elections, the public opinion landscape could shift dramatically, threatening even the current political structure of a minority ruling party and majority opposition.

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