[Inside Chodong] The Small Ball Launched by Ha Taekyung

"This is an example that shows our party's determination for innovation. (Yoon Jae-ok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party)"

"We too must let go of vested interests and not fall behind in the competition for innovation. (Kim Du-kwan, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea)"

Ha Tae-kyung, a three-term member of the People Power Party known as the 'Haeundae veteran' in Busan, has declared his candidacy for Seoul, which is considered a 'tough district' for the People Power Party, leaving behind his own constituency. Ha, who would have been virtually guaranteed election if he ran in Haeundae, has made the decision to give up his vested position.

The People Power Party praised this as an 'example showing determination for innovation,' while voices within the Democratic Party are calling for 'us too to let go of vested interests.'

Of course, there are many who question whether his decision was politically purely voluntary. Jeong Cheong-rae, a Democratic Party member, appeared on KBS Radio and said, "This is the sorrow of the non-Yoon faction. If he were pro-Yoon, he would have just stayed put in Haeundae."

As expectations grew that Ha, classified as non-Yoon, would lose the Haeundae nomination to a pro-Yoon figure in next year's general election, Jeong analyzed that Ha shifted his focus to running in the tough district of Seoul.

It is not only opposition figures who view the 'tough district candidacy' with suspicion.

Hong Joon-pyo, a senior member of the People Power Party and Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, responded to a supporter’s question on the party’s community 'Youth’s Dream' by saying, "(Ha) is looking out for his own survival." Although he did not mention specific circumstances, he shares a similar critical view of Ha’s tough district candidacy as Jeong.

Even if Ha’s candidacy was made with 'impure' intentions, there is reason to evaluate his decision to run in a tough district. This is because the atmosphere within both major parties has clearly changed since his announcement.

The People Power Party expressed expectations that Ha’s tough district candidacy could trigger second and third such declarations. Cheon Ha-ram, the People Power Party’s Suncheon-gap district committee chairman and a non-Yoon faction member, has advocated for Jang Je-won, a pro-Yoon core member of the party, to run in a tough district.

This is expected to put considerable pressure on senior Yeongnam politicians who hold political strongholds for the ruling party.

Within the Democratic Party, calls for tough district candidacies targeting the pro-Myeong faction, which holds party leadership, are also emerging.

Lee Won-wook, a non-Myeong faction member of the Democratic Party, has raised his voice demanding that not only pro-Myeong senior lawmakers but also Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, should run in tough districts or not run at all. This is a response to the increasing requests within the party for non-Myeong faction members to run in tough districts.

Senior politicians leaving their long-held political strongholds to run in unrelated constituencies?so-called 'tough district candidacies'?have not always yielded results. Nor can they necessarily be seen as linked to innovation.

However, running in tough districts is a strong act with the justification of breaking the domestic political structure’s pathology based on 'regionalism.' Regardless of Ha’s political intentions or the background behind them, the 'tough district wave' blowing six months before the general election is raising positive expectations for political innovation in both major parties.

As a voter, I hope that the 'small ball' Ha launched will, whether big or small, bring about innovation in our politics in next year’s general election.

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