Democratic Party Suncheon Mayor Candidate Primary Should Provide Opportunity to Introduce Candidates to Citizens

Democratic Party Yeosu-si Gap District Committee Conducts 'Yeosu Citizen Public Verification Project, Yeosu Mayor Preliminary Candidate Audition'

[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] There are as many as nine preliminary candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea running for Suncheon mayor in the upcoming June 1 local elections.

There is a growing call for these nine preliminary candidates to fully inform citizens of their policies and pledges, which should then be reflected in the Democratic Party’s nomination screening process.

The local atmosphere equates the Democratic Party’s nomination with election victory, so there is a desire for a fair opportunity and a transparent process that incorporates citizens’ opinions in the party’s nomination screening.

There is a sentiment urging that citizens have a role in the Democratic Party’s nomination and verification of Suncheon mayoral candidates, warning against the party’s opaque screening process.

According to the primary schedule announced by the Democratic Party’s Jeonnam Provincial Party, the first round of the primary, the cutoff, will soon be held to announce the candidates advancing to the main primary.

Out of the nine preliminary candidates, six to seven will be cut off, and two to three candidates will compete in the main primary by early next month.

Perhaps due to the limited time remaining, efforts to promote the candidates’ future visions and capabilities have decreased, while the use of SNS and media to highlight opponents’ criminal records and past misdeeds has intensified, escalating conflicts and antagonism among candidates.

With high public interest in whether the Democratic Party’s primary process will be conducted transparently, a public opinion poll for the first cutoff is expected to be conducted this week, focusing attention on the words and actions of So Byung-chul, the party chairman.

Meanwhile, there has been a noteworthy move recently by the Democratic Party’s Yeosu Gap regional committee in nearby Yeosu City.

At 2 p.m. the previous day, Democratic Party Yeosu Gap lawmaker Joo Cheol-hyun held the ‘Yeosu Citizen Public Verification Project, Yeosu Mayor Preliminary Candidate Audition’ targeting Yeosu mayoral preliminary candidates.

The Democratic Party’s Yeosu mayoral preliminary candidates were invited to a public audition where their future vision, policy capabilities, morality, and party loyalty were verified, and the event was broadcast live on YouTube for citizens to watch.

Each candidate was given 25 minutes, answering verification panel questions consisting of common and customized free questions.

Therefore, the call for a public forum and a policy election platform to verify Suncheon mayoral preliminary candidates for the development of Suncheon is gaining momentum.

Citizen A said, “The Democratic Party’s regional committee should provide Suncheon mayoral preliminary candidates with fair opportunities and a transparent process, ensuring citizens’ choices are maximally respected in the primary,” adding, “This local election should be well conducted to console citizens’ sentiments following the presidential election defeat.”

Earlier, on the 7th, Democratic Party lawmaker So Byung-chul of the Suncheon-Gwangyang-Gurye-Gokseong Gap regional committee stated at a local social organization and local election roundtable, “Active citizen participation is key for grassroots democracy to flourish,” and “Since there is a perception that the Democratic Party’s nomination equals election victory, the evaluation by sovereign citizens must be reflected in the nomination.”

Accordingly, attention is focused on how Lawmaker So will encourage active citizen participation and incorporate citizens’ evaluations into the Suncheon mayoral nomination process.

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