Seo Byung-su, Kim Tae-ho, Jo Hae-jin Sacrifice as Senior Members of the People Power Party... What About Other Three-Term or More Lawmakers?

Senior members opposing or demanding "Let's have a primary"
Former leader Kim Gi-hyeon excluded from tough district candidacy list

Ahead of the general election in April, the People Power Party is asking senior lawmakers with three or more terms, especially in the Yeongnam region constituencies taken by the Democratic Party of Korea, to make 'sacrifices.' As of the 13th, there are a total of 31 People Power Party lawmakers with three or more terms: 16 with three terms, 8 with four terms, and 7 with five terms. The signal for senior lawmakers' sacrifice came from Seo Byung-soo (five terms) and Kim Tae-ho (three terms). On the 6th, Jang Dong-hyuk, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, told reporters, "We asked Seo to run in Buk-Gangseo Gap, and Kim to run in Yangsan Eul," adding, "If we can defend and secure the Nakdong River belt in Gyeongnam, it will have great significance in the general election." He also revealed that they requested Cho Hae-jin (three terms) to run in either Gimhae Gap or Gimhae Eul.

This is not the first time the party has requested senior lawmakers to run in the Seoul metropolitan area. In October last year, In Yo-han, Innovation Committee Chair of the People Power Party, raised the idea of senior Yeongnam lawmakers running in the metropolitan area. The party was stirred. Kim Yong-pan, a People Power Party lawmaker, told reporters, "Is this ignoring Yeongnam? It is close to a hostile act." Joo Ho-young, another party lawmaker, refused to run in the metropolitan area, saying, "If you started politics in Daegu, you should finish in Daegu." At least, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong restored some face for Chair In by deciding to run in Incheon Gyeyang Eul, where Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, is running.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"If it's for the party"... Senior Lawmakers Bow Their Heads

As the general election approaches, the mood has shifted. Senior lawmakers with three or more terms have begun accepting the party's requests to run in difficult constituencies. Seo Byung-soo accepted the party's request and decided to run in Buk-Gangseo Gap, Busan, classified as a tough district. At a press conference on the 7th, Seo said, "If it is the path for the country and the party, I will fulfill my duty," adding, "It will be a tough challenge, but I respect and will follow the party's request." Kim Tae-ho also decided to run in Yangsan Eul, where a contest with Kim Doo-kwan of the Democratic Party is expected. Cho Hae-jin is also expected to express his intention to comply with the party's request.

"I Won't Bow"... Senior Lawmakers Clash with the Party and Yongsan

Rather than bowing, some senior lawmakers aiming for three or more terms are seeking nominations through primaries. Hong Moon-pyo, running for his fifth term in Hongseong-Yesan, Chungnam, is competing against former Senior Secretary for Civil Society Kang Seung-gyu, who also applied as a preliminary candidate in the same constituency. Hong raised suspicions that Kang distributed presidential watches and sent flags with the presidential emblem to local wedding halls, book launch events, and business openings. He strongly criticized, saying, "It reminds me of old-fashioned Makgeolli and rubber shoes elections." Kang rebutted, saying, "Visitors to the Presidential Office nationwide receive these watches as common souvenirs," and questioned, "How can flags with phoenixes sent to stores or wedding halls be presidential flags?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There were also objections within the party. Kim Sung-tae, a three-term lawmaker from Gangseo Eul, Seoul, and former floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), claimed that his disqualification from nomination was "the result created by core insiders spreading like cancer around the party and the president's circle." Although Kim was pardoned and reinstated after being sentenced to one year in prison with two years probation by the Supreme Court on bribery charges, he was disqualified based on the nomination committee's guidelines, which exclude those who have received probation or higher sentences for bribery-related crimes from nominations even after pardon and reinstatement. Secretary-General Jang said, "After thorough review and in-depth discussion, I will say it does not meet the public's expectations."

"Could It Be Me?"... Senior Lawmakers Are Nervous

Among lawmakers with three or more terms, those with high recognition such as Cho Kyung-tae (five terms), Kim Do-eup (three terms), and Lee Heon-seung (three terms) are expected to receive additional requests to run in difficult districts. Cho Kyung-tae of Saha-gu Eul, Busan, was recently rumored to be transferred to the metropolitan area. At the end of last year, Cho was appointed head of the 'Special Committee for Improving the Convenience of Metropolitan Residents,' which pushed for the incorporation of Gimpo City into Seoul, leading to speculation that he was preparing to run in a tough metropolitan district. Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Ju-young and Park Sang-hyuk, who represent Gimpo City constituencies, also demanded Cho run in Gimpo. However, Cho registered as a preliminary candidate in Saha-gu Eul and decided to run for his sixth term.

However, Kim Ki-hyun (four terms, Ulsan Namgu Eul), former party leader, is reportedly excluded from the list of candidates for difficult districts. Although there were talks that he should run in Ulsan Bukgu, held by the Democratic Party, this is analyzed as a result of considering his contributions to the party, including serving as party leader. Jeong Young-hwan, head of the nomination committee, said in a media interview on his way to work the previous day, "Kim can be seen as having contributed involuntarily during the process of the Innovation Committee and the Emergency Committee."

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