People Power Party Kimcheon Mayor Primary, Internal Conflict Intensifies... Turbulent Election Battle Unfolds

Backlash Erupts over Primary Decision
Legal Battles Escalate Among Candidates

The People Power Party's decision to reverse its initial plan of not nominating a candidate for the Kimcheon mayoral by-election and proceed with a primary has intensified internal conflicts within the party. As some candidates declared support for specific contenders and boycotted the primary, the election campaign has become chaotic, with one candidate being reported for violating the Public Official Election Act.

A view of Gimcheon City Hall, Gyeongbuk./Photo by Byeonggeon Kwon

The People Power Party's Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee decided on the 20th to hold a primary among four of the seven preliminary candidates for Kimcheon mayor: former Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Chairman Kim Eung-gyu, former Kimcheon City Council Chairman Bae Nak-ho, former Kimcheon Deputy Mayor Lee Chang-jae, and former National Assembly member Lim In-bae.

However, preliminary candidates Lee Chang-jae and Lim In-bae declared their withdrawal from the primary and officially endorsed candidate Kim Eung-gyu.

At a press conference, they stated, "After careful consideration for the development of Kimcheon City, we have decided to support candidate Kim Eung-gyu," adding, "We will help prevent division in the by-election and empower the right person to lead proper city administration." Kim Se-hwan, who was eliminated in the first primary round, also joined this announcement. As a result, the primary narrowed down to a two-way contest between candidates Kim Eung-gyu and Bae Nak-ho.

Meanwhile, the Kimcheon City Election Commission announced on the 24th that it had reported preliminary candidate Bae Nak-ho to the Kimcheon Police Station for violating the Public Official Election Act (false information disclosure).

The Election Commission explained, "There is evidence that false information minimizing his criminal record was disclosed during his candidacy announcement and media interviews."

Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that candidates who disclose false information for the purpose of election can be punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 30 million won. An Election Commission official pointed out, "Disclosing false information is a serious matter that can severely undermine the fairness of elections."

In response, preliminary candidate Bae Nak-ho said, "I do not clearly remember the exact statements at the time, but I will sincerely cooperate with the investigation," adding, "Since various political alliances can occur during elections, I will focus on my own campaign."

Currently, the Kimcheon mayoral by-election features candidates including Hwang Tae-seong, Kimcheon regional chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, independent Park Pan-su, former Gyeongbuk Provincial Council member, and Lee Seon-myeong, former Kimcheon City Council member, actively campaigning. Ultimately, a four-way race is expected.

This by-election is being held following the loss of office by former mayor Kim Chung-seop due to violations of the Public Official Election Act. Former Mayor Kim was sentenced by the Supreme Court to two years in prison with a three-year probation for providing holiday gifts to about 1,800 people using public officials.

The People Power Party initially announced a policy not to nominate candidates in by-elections caused by the fault of party members but reversed its stance after delegating nomination rights to each city and provincial party following the 'December 3 Internal Conflict.' Accordingly, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Party Committee decided to nominate candidates for the Kimcheon mayoral and Goryeong County council elections.

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