Heo Seok Rejects Unfair Primary Election Involving Party Member List Leak and Lawmaker Intervention

Objection Filed with Central Party, Assemblyman Sobyeongcheol Accused of Interfering in Primary Election

[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Heo Seok, a preliminary candidate for Suncheon mayor who advanced to the final Democratic Party mayoral primary, stated on the 6th that he "cannot accept the announced results under any circumstances" and that he "will file an objection citing unfair primary election practices, including allegations of party member list leaks and interference by National Assembly member So Byung-chul."

Concerns about unfair practices in the Democratic Party's primary for Suncheon mayor and city council members have continued to surface.

There were even reports that National Assembly member So Byung-chul urged city council candidates to support opposing candidates, leading Heo Seok and his campaign officials to continuously raise issues.

In the Democratic Party's final primary for Suncheon mayor, Oh Ha-geun led among party members with 55.22%, ahead of Heo Seok's 44.78%, while in the general public opinion poll, Heo Seok led with 54.88% over Oh Ha-geun's 45.11%, resulting in a final margin of 50.17% to 49.83%, a difference of 0.34%.

Earlier, preliminary candidate Heo Seok released a statement saying, "In a primary that should be conducted more fairly than ever, there have been continuous reports and circumstances indicating that the regional committee chairman, who is obligated to remain neutral according to party rules, intervened in the cut-off screening and primary process," adding, "I will gather related evidence to file an objection with the central party and report National Assembly member So Byung-chul's interference in the primary."

He continued, "Despite issuing an urgent appeal on the 4th as a warning, we received reports that calls continued through Lee Chang-yong, the secretary-general of the regional committee, urging support for candidate Oh Ha-geun," and stated, "This is a clear case of unfair primary election and an anti-democratic act that undermines the foundation of democracy." He added that he will use all available means to file complaints and fight alongside citizens.

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