Tae-heum Kim, South Chungcheong Governor, Applies for Local Election Nomination... Oh Still Deliberating

Nomination Issue for Seoul Mayoral Candidate Remains Unresolved

On March 12, Kim Tae-heum, the governor of South Chungcheong Province, applied for nomination as the People Power Party's candidate for governor. This comes as the proposed administrative integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong, which had been the stated reason for deferring his nomination application, has effectively fallen through. In contrast to Governor Kim, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has yet to apply for nomination, continuing to deliberate due to the so-called "Jeol-Yun" issue.

Governor Kim stated on his social networking service (SNS) account that "When the party faces difficult circumstances, stepping back or avoiding responsibility does not align with the political path I have chosen. I will be a shield and a vanguard for the People Power Party's candidates," announcing his decision.

Previously, Governor Kim had deferred his application for nomination as a metropolitan mayor to the party’s central nomination committee, citing the unresolved status of the Daejeon-South Chungcheong administrative integration. In response, Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk personally encouraged Governor Kim to apply, and the nomination committee extended the application deadline until today, which led Kim to register as a candidate.

Governor Kim explained, "I deferred my application because the Daejeon-South Chungcheong administrative integration is a matter that affects the future of South Chungcheong, which is more important than any individual political schedule. Administrative integration is a long-term national plan to overcome the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area and to realize local autonomy and balanced development," adding, "However, due to the Democratic Party's obstruction, the integration has been effectively scrapped. The Democratic Party has ultimately used this critical issue not for the future of South Chungcheong but as a tool for political calculation and conflict. There is no reason to hesitate any longer."

Governor Kim also stated, "Party Leader Jang earnestly requested that I play a role in advancing the future of South Chungcheong," and added, "I will look only to the residents and take full responsibility for the future of South Chungcheong until the end."

Meanwhile, Mayor Oh is still deliberating on whether to apply for nomination as of today. He believes further action is needed following the "Jeol-Yun" declaration. An associate of Mayor Oh said, "In order to convince the public that there has been real change, an innovative election campaign committee should be formed, and those close to the party leadership who directly oppose the parliamentary group's 'Jeol-Yun' resolution must be removed," adding, "It remains uncertain whether Mayor Oh will apply for nomination today."

Party Leader Jang, at the Supreme Council meeting this morning, requested the Ethics Committee to suspend discussion of all current disciplinary cases to promote party unity, and also asked party officials to refrain from commenting on internal matters or personnel issues.

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