Handonghun Requests Reconsideration of Dotaewoo's Nomination Amid '518 Denigration and Ilbe Controversy'... Criticism of "Issue Already Settled"

Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, requested the Nomination Management Committee to reconsider the nomination of Do Tae-woo, a candidate from Daegu Jung-gu and Nam-gu who was embroiled in controversy over belittling the May 18 Democratic Movement and the far-right online community 'Ilgan Best'. However, there is also criticism that overturning nominations decided by the system is inappropriate.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the Central Party Office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the morning of the 12th, Chairman Han met with reporters at the Yeouido Central Party Office and said regarding the request to reconsider Do's nomination, "For someone entrusted with an important public duty, it is important to consider the seriousness of past remarks or public issues and whether they have sincerely changed their mind." He added, "Although no conclusion has been reached, the Nomination Management Committee decided that it is necessary to look at these aspects comprehensively." Chairman Han also announced through a media release the day before, "I requested the People Power Party’s Nomination Management Committee to conduct a thorough review of the candidate’s past remarks in line with the public’s expectations."

This is interpreted as a move to request reconsideration in response to public opinion. Candidate Do was embroiled in controversy for belittling the May 18 Democratic Movement, including remarks such as "Defining the May 18 Democratic Movement as a massacre is a fictional myth." Furthermore, shortly after Chairman Han attacked Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the Emergency Response Committee meeting the previous day by saying, "(Is there) anyone among us from Ilbe?" it was revealed that candidate Do had posted Ilbe content on his social media.

The People Power Party’s Nomination Management Committee is also shifting its stance. As recently as the 8th, Jeong Young-hwan, chairman of the Nomination Management Committee, stated, "We respected various opinions and have sufficiently reviewed (candidate Do), believing he will prioritize the party’s overall values." However, on this day, Jang Dong-hyuk, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, said, "We will put this on the agenda for the Nomination Management Committee today," and added, "The committee will consider all circumstances and discuss whether it meets the public’s expectations." Since Chairman Han requested a reconsideration in line with public expectations, there is a possibility that candidate Do’s nomination could be canceled.

However, there is criticism that changing the nomination decision based solely on Chairman Han’s remarks is inappropriate. It is argued that this contradicts the system-based nomination process that Chairman Han and the People Power Party leadership have continuously emphasized. Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, stated on his social media the previous day, "That (nomination) is already a matter decided by the choice of citizens and party members," and added, "The candidate was confirmed by the announcement of the primary election results, and the Supreme Council’s resolution is merely a confirmation act, which a legal professional should know. The candidate should have been eliminated in the primary from the start."

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