Controversy Inside and Outside the Party Over Kim Young-sun's Nomination for Changwon Uichang By-election... "No Local Ties"

Former National Assembly Member Kim Young-sun, (Photo by Kim Young-sun Camp)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] The nomination of former National Assembly member Kim Young-sun for the by-election in Changwon Uichang District, which became vacant due to the People Power Party’s Park Wan-su’s candidacy for the Gyeongnam governor election, has stirred controversy both inside and outside the party.

The group of Uichang residents supporting former chairman Kim Jong-yang, who was also a preliminary candidate from the same party applying to run in Changwon Uichang, issued a statement on the 11th, saying, “The reason we cannot accept this nomination result is clear,” and pointed out, “This nomination goes against the current government’s fairness and common sense, and the nominee has no local ties or political connection to Uichang District.”

They added, “The local grassroots sentiment is that it will be difficult for the ruling party candidate to achieve an overwhelming victory with such an unreasonable nomination,” and demanded a re-nomination.

Another preliminary candidate from the same party, Jang Dong-hwa, also expressed opposition. Candidate Jang announced plans to run as an independent, claiming that the nomination was given to a “politician who artificially created a tenuous local connection and is a political opportunist.”

On the 10th, he released a statement targeting former Assembly member Kim, saying, “He is the most typical washed-up politician who runs for office wherever elections come, and he is a candidate who flew into Uichang District like a migratory bird.”

He further criticized, “Former Assembly member Kim consecutively lost twice in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, lost in the Gyeonggi governor primary, ran and was eliminated in the 7th Gyeongnam governor primary, and after supporting independent candidate Ahn Sang-soo for Changwon mayor, his party membership was suspended. Two years ago, he ran in Changwon Jinhae but was eliminated in the primary,” raising the level of criticism.

Kim Ji-soo, a former Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly member confirmed as the Democratic Party candidate for Changwon Uichang, also criticized the nomination on the 10th, saying, “People will not view positively a candidate who comes here from outside, doing this and that, not to start a new hobby in old age but as a stranger to this place.”

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