The Reality of Yeongnam Star's Seoul Metropolitan Election Bid... "Star-Level? Who Knows"

Chairman In Yohan of the Innovation Committee's Proposal for Yeongnam Star to Run in Stronghold
"A Necessary Medicine for Structural Reform" vs "An Overreaching Claim"
Attention on Possible Decision by Representative Kim Ki-hyun and Others

Inyohan, chairman of the People Power Party's Innovation Committee, has sparked waves in the political arena by suggesting that senior Yeongnam politicians run for office in the Seoul metropolitan area. The idea is that veteran Yeongnam lawmakers with high recognition and name value on the central political stage should serve as a bridgehead for elections in the metropolitan area. Attention is focused on whether senior Yeongnam politicians, including Kim Gi-hyeon, the People Power Party leader who served four terms in Ulsan, will run in the metropolitan area.

On the 30th, regarding Inyohan's interview suggesting that senior Yeongnam lawmakers should run in the metropolitan area, Kim Gi-hyeon said, "The Innovation Committee has not yet made any proposals," but added, "If a formal proposal is made, there will be an opportunity to speak," withholding further comment. Inside and outside the party, there is a growing atmosphere that Kim is likely to decide to run in the metropolitan area. Kim Byung-min, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,’ "Leader Kim is a politician who puts the party before himself and has great affection for the party," adding, "Since there is still a long time until the general election, the leadership he must demonstrate at the last moment will be a solitary decision by Leader Kim." This suggests that the decision to run in a tough district such as the metropolitan area is likely to be a ‘decision’ rather than something forced upon him.

The idea of senior Yeongnam lawmakers running in the metropolitan area has emerged because Inyohan recently said in an interview with some media outlets, "It would be great if stars from Yeongnam came to tough districts like Seoul to help." Although Inyohan denied this as a misreport, some media reported that he named Kim Gi-hyeon and former floor leader Joo Ho-young of the People Power Party, urging them to run.

Professor In Yo-han of Yonsei University College of Medicine, appointed as the Innovation Committee Chair of the People Power Party, is answering questions from the press after meeting with key party officials at the People Power Party Central Party Office in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Supreme Council member Kim explained that Inyohan caused this controversy due to the need for change in the party after the crushing defeat in the Seoul Gangseo District mayoral election. He said, "Since the defeat in the Gangseo by-election, the demand for the People Power Party has been to reform from a Yeongnam-centered party to a metropolitan-centered party," adding, "People did not really believe such talk, but when Inyohan made remarks about (the forces downstream of the Nakdong River), it gave the impression that the People Power Party is changing." Kim also said that if the party’s approval ratings recover, "Who in the party could reject (the innovation plan)?"

However, there are also voices cautioning against overinterpretation regarding the idea of senior Yeongnam lawmakers running in the metropolitan area. Oh Shin-hwan, an Innovation Committee member of the People Power Party, said on YTN Radio’s ‘News King Park Ji-hoon,’ "(The idea of senior Yeongnam lawmakers running in the metropolitan area mentioned by Inyohan in an interview with some media) was not discussed within the Innovation Committee and was expressed as a personal opinion," adding, "Innovation without sacrifice ultimately does not move the people. Innovation is achieved through a fight against vested interests. I think it was a principled statement." He suggested that while innovation involving sacrifice and emotional impact is necessary, Inyohan’s proposal for senior Yeongnam lawmakers to run in tough districts should be seen only at a theoretical level.

Park Jeong-ha, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, made a meaningful remark after the Supreme Council meeting that day. When asked by reporters whether the idea of senior Yeongnam lawmakers running in tough districts or the metropolitan area was discussed in the meeting, Park said, "It was not discussed today," but added, "When cooking rice, you need rice and water, and then heat is applied to boil it. There must be a process. That is how warm rice comes out, and I understand this as such a process now." He continued, "I personally think that after that, you need to ignite the fire and go through such a process."

However, skepticism exists within the party regarding the idea of Yeongnam lawmakers running in the metropolitan area. It is believed that senior Yeongnam lawmakers have a low chance of winning in the metropolitan area. Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok said on SBS Radio’s ‘Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show,’ "Even if people from Yeongnam come up, the chance of winning in the metropolitan area is zero," adding, "Even if they are star-level figures from Yeongnam, no one knows them in the metropolitan area. If you don’t know them, you’re a spy; if you do, you’re a spy." This means that even senior politicians from Yeongnam are not recognized by politically interested people in the metropolitan area and thus cannot demonstrate competitiveness.

People Power Party lawmakers, including Representative Kim Ki-hyun, are saluting the national flag at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In fact, past elections have shown the limitations of senior Yeongnam politicians running in tough districts. Former lawmaker Kim Jae-won lost the party primary in Seoul Jungnang-gu B in the last general election and thus did not get the chance to run. There are also cases where lawmakers from Gangnam moved to Gangbuk and lost. In the last general election, former lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon, who served three terms in Seoul Seocho, ran in Seoul Dongdaemun B and suffered defeat with 43.8% of the vote.

On the other hand, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Tae-ho, who opposed the tough district candidacy idea, were excluded from nominations but ran as independents and won.

There are also criticisms that the idea of running in tough districts is already overdue. Lee Sang-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said on KBS Radio’s ‘Choi Kang’s Current Affairs,’ "If you told them to prepare a year ago, that would be different, but doing this right before the election is disrespectful to the residents." This means that local residents are unlikely to welcome senior lawmakers who come just a few months before the general election.

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