Kim Sumin, Running for North Chungcheong Governor, Requests Primary and Vows to Accept Party Decision

Some Candidates Withdraw or Suspend Campaigns Amid "Designation Rumors"
Controversy Grows

Kim Soomin, former lawmaker and an applicant for the People Power Party's North Chungcheong Province Governor nomination, requested on March 18 that the party's Nomination Management Committee select the gubernatorial candidate through a primary.

On the same day, Kim announced on her social networking service (SNS) account, "For the future of North Chungcheong, I will respect and dedicate myself to the party's decision," reiterating her call for a primary.

Kim Soomin, a member of the Bareunmirae Party, is questioning at the National Assembly Audit on the Korea Creative Content Agency held at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 18th. Rep. Kim strongly criticized, saying, "Tickets related to BTS are being traded as scalped tickets online, but the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has not even grasped the situation."/Photo by Yoon Dongju doso7@

Previously, Kim had applied for the North Chungcheong Province Governor nomination after the current governor Kim Younghwan was cut off during the nomination process. Within the party, there were even so-called "designation rumors" that Kim, a native of Cheongju in North Chungcheong, could be given the sole nomination.

As a result, Cho Gilhyeong, former mayor of Cheongju and another applicant, indicated his intention to withdraw his nomination application, while Yoon Heegeun, former commissioner general of the National Police Agency, also decided to suspend his campaign activities. The ousted Governor Kim also filed for an injunction in court the previous day, calling the primary a "sham primary."

As the situation escalated, People Power Party lawmakers from North Chungcheong (Um Taeyoung and Park Deokheum) met with party leader Jang Donghyuk at the National Assembly and conveyed their concerns. Speaking to reporters, Assemblyman Park said, "Given the already difficult election, I suggested that we select the candidate through a primary, not a strategic nomination, so that the winner becomes the official candidate." Assemblyman Um also remarked, "It's very regrettable that the Nomination Committee made the cut-off decision without consulting local party leaders or senior lawmakers in North Chungcheong."

Lee Junghyun, chairperson of the Nomination Committee, commented on the conflict surrounding the North Chungcheong Province Governor nomination, saying, "I feel regretful" and "I am taking this situation to heart." However, he added that he would not comment on individual matters.

Given these developments, Kim Soomin appears to be calling for a primary as a way to ease tensions. She stated, "I want to compete over our visions for the future of North Chungcheong with the other honorable preliminary candidates," adding, "I believe that presenting only the most proven and competitive candidate to the market through fair competition embodies the core values of the conservatism I uphold and the free market economy it protects."

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