The Democratic Party Shifts to Nominate Gangseo District Mayor Candidate... Will a Prosecutor-Police Showdown Occur?

People Power Party Forms Nomination Committee to Select Candidates
Immediate Support from On-Site Supreme Council Upon Candidate Decision
Democratic Party Awards Nomination Certificates and Officially Launches Campaign

The People Power Party has changed its stance and decided to nominate a candidate for the Seoul Gangseo District Mayor by-election scheduled for the 11th of next month. This election, seen as a preliminary battle ahead of the April parliamentary elections next year, is expected to be a fierce contest between the ruling and opposition parties.

According to ruling party sources on the 6th, the People Power Party plans to launch a nomination management committee as early as this week to decide on the Gangseo District Mayor candidate. Initially, the party leadership had leaned towards not nominating a candidate for this by-election, but the nomination trend from the Presidential Office and the Democratic Party’s candidate confirmation appear to have influenced the decision. Earlier, the Democratic Party strategically nominated Jin Gyo-hoon, former Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency, as their candidate for Gangseo District Mayor.

The People Power Party is also considering holding an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Gangseo once their candidate is confirmed. The on-site Supreme Council is expected to be attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Seoul City Party Chairman Kim Seon-dong, and others. The strategy is to directly confront the 'capital region crisis theory' raised inside and outside the party and maintain momentum through to next year’s general election. A party official said, "With only six months left until the general election and this being an election held in the capital region, the stakes will be high," adding, "Leader Kim Ki-hyun will also devote full efforts to Gangseo."

The People Power Party leadership is reportedly deliberating between an internal primary and a strategic nomination to select their Gangseo District Mayor candidate. Former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo, who lost his position after being sentenced for official secret leakage in May but was specially pardoned in August after three months, registered as a candidate last month. Kim Jin-seon, Gangseo-eul Party Committee Chairman, and Kim Yong-sung, former Seoul City Council member, have also registered as People Power Party preliminary candidates.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Because of this, voices both inside and outside the party are calling for the candidate to be selected through a primary rather than a strategic nomination. Kim Seong-tae, People Power Party Gangseo-eul Party Committee Chairman, said in a BBS radio interview that "The Democratic Party used candidate Jin’s strategic nomination as a means to create a forced police-prosecutor frame, but from our People Power Party’s perspective, the democratic procedure is to select a candidate who can ensure continuous district administration for the true residents of Gangseo," adding, "No matter which of the three candidates is chosen, the party leadership must play a role in uniting and consolidating for the by-election."

However, there are talks within political circles that former Mayor Kim is the likely nominee. It is suggested that President Yoon Seok-yeol’s intention, who specially pardoned Kim after three months, may be reflected in this. A People Power Party official said, "This by-election was originally under a no-nomination principle due to Kim’s responsibility, but considering the local residents’ sentiment who elected him despite the first trial’s guilty verdict and the fact that his disclosure was for public interest as a whistleblower, the leadership cannot help but put in full effort."

Jin Gyo-hoon, Former Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency [Image source=Yonhap News]

If the People Power Party strategically nominates former Mayor Kim, this Gangseo District Mayor election will become a showdown between the 'police and prosecution.' On the same day, the Democratic Party awarded the nomination certificate to former Deputy Commissioner Jin and officially launched the election campaign. Earlier, Lee Hae-sik, Deputy Chair of the Democratic Party’s Public Office Committee, emphasized, "Candidate Jin was confirmed to have the extensibility and outstanding morality to warrant a strategic nomination," adding, "In addition to the '7 major personnel verification criteria' established during the Moon Jae-in administration, thorough investigations and interviews confirmed that the candidate had no issues related to power abuse, children’s school violence, or virtual asset (coin) speculation."

Meanwhile, the Justice Party has decided to nominate former Seoul City Council member Kwon Su-jeong. The Green Party nominated Kim Yu-ri, co-chair of the Seoul City Party, and the Progressive Party nominated Kwon Hye-in, a Korean medicine doctor.

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