Democratic Party Naju Mayor Primary Race Sparks Controversy Over Unfair Support for 'Specific Candidate'

Published 25 Apr.2022 17:18(KST)

Naju Regional Committee Officials Must Immediately Stop Activities for Specific Candidate's Camp

This Preliminary Candidate "Demands a Sincere Apology from the Regional Chairman"... Announces Primary Boycott and Legal Action

On the 25th at 2 PM, Lee Min-jun, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Naju from the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed his position on the unfair primary election at the Naju City Council.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong] Controversies and noise continue to surround the Democratic Party's primary for the Naju mayoral candidate in the June 1 local elections, increasing calls for self-purification within the party.

On the 25th at 2 p.m., Lee Min-jun, a preliminary candidate for the Democratic Party's Naju mayoral race, expressed his position on the unfair primary at the Naju City Council and demanded that party officials of the Naju regional committee immediately stop campaigning for a specific candidate.

Candidate Lee Min-jun stated, "With just over a month left until the June 1 local elections, the Naju community is being completely engulfed by the term 'unfairness.' It is shocking to confirm that many party officials of the Democratic Party's Naju regional committee, who should stand in a fair and transparent middle ground, are deeply involved in a specific candidate's campaign."

He continued, "I verbally conveyed this to the regional committee chairman, Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon, but no improvements have been made, and they are openly working for a specific candidate's campaign. If these actions by party officials do not reflect the chairman's intentions, I urge that they immediately stop activities that could cause unfairness and that the involved officials be promptly dismissed."

It has been openly circulating in the Naju area since around October last year that party officials of the Naju regional committee are systematically mobilizing to help a specific candidate win.

Candidate Lee Min-jun said, "The June 1 local elections are a festival to elect people who can work hard for regional development. We cannot overlook such acts that ruin the citizens' festival and obstruct their proper choice. If there is no sincere apology from the regional committee chairman, I will not hesitate to take legal action, including boycotting the primary."

Meanwhile, on the 24th, three preliminary candidates excluded from the primary?Kang In-gyu, Kim Byung-joo, and Kim Deok-su?also held a press conference to express their dissatisfaction with the primary process and requested the central party to thoroughly review the transparency of the primary process.