Joo Ho-young: "Nomination Committee Chairman Is the Biggest Obstacle in the Election... A Fair Primary Is Needed"

Disagreement with Nomination Committee Over Daegu Mayoral Candidate Selection Process

Ju Ho-young, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who has entered the Daegu mayoral race, strongly criticized the management style of Nomination Committee Chairman Lee Jung-hyun and emphasized the need for a fair primary.

On March 19, Deputy Speaker Ju appeared on BBS Radio's "Keum Tae-seop's Morning Journal" and criticized, "The chairman of the nomination committee has become the biggest obstacle to this election, but it seems he is the only one unaware of this."

Deputy Speaker Ju interpreted the situation by saying, "Based on what I have gathered from nomination committee officials and media reports, the chairman tried to push for strategic nominations in Daegu and Busan, but when committee members opposed it, he simply walked away."

He added, "He resigned and then returned, pushed for a single-candidate nomination in Busan but changed to a primary after protests from lawmakers, and now in Daegu, he is again shifting his position after group protests from lawmakers."

Ju also expressed his opposition to Chairman Lee's argument for generational change. He said, "Generational change should be decided by party members through party conventions and elections. When the nomination committee chairman imposes his own views during the nomination process, it is nothing more than authoritarianism and self-interest packaged as innovation."

From the Democratic Party side, with the candidacy of former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum widely expected, Deputy Speaker Ju stressed the importance of selecting a competitive candidate through a fair process.

He said, "Former Prime Minister Kim has already received 40% of the vote in Daegu and carries the weight of having served as prime minister. Only by selecting a candidate suitable for this stature through a fair primary do we stand a real chance of winning."

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