Daegu Heats Up Early: Ruling Party Faces Nomination Turmoil, Kim Boo-kyum Rumored to Enter Race

Kim in Final Deliberation... People Power Party Shaken by "Preselection" Rumors

With roughly 70 days remaining until the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3, the election fervor in Daegu—a traditional stronghold of conservative politics—is heating up early. While the ruling People Power Party in the region is facing internal turmoil over candidate nominations, speculation is rising that former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party of Korea may enter the race.

According to a compilation of reports by The Asia Business Daily on March 19, former Prime Minister Kim has entered the final stages of deliberation regarding his potential candidacy for the Daegu mayoral election. It is reported that Kim’s team has recently been searching for a residence in Daegu. He is expected to announce his decision regarding his candidacy within this month at the latest.

Yonhap News Agency

Originally from Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, and a graduate of elementary, middle, and high school in Daegu, former Prime Minister Kim previously ran in the 20th National Assembly elections for Suseong-gu Gap constituency in Daegu, where he defeated former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo with a 62.3% vote share.

Political circles in the region have consistently urged former Prime Minister Kim to run, citing both his stature as a presidential contender and his solid support base in Daegu. A People Power Party lawmaker from Daegu commented, "If former Prime Minister Kim addresses regional issues like the integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province while leveraging the advantages of the ruling party, he may not necessarily win, but he will likely demonstrate significant voter appeal."

On this day, People Power Party lawmakers from Daegu are scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss their recommendation for the mayoral nomination to party leadership. As Nomination Committee Chairperson Lee Junghyun suggested the possibility of excluding senior lawmakers from nominations (cut-off), there is a sense of urgency. There is speculation that, following a cut-off, former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jinsook may be nominated. Another scenario involves nominating first-term lawmaker Choi Eunseok and nominating former Chairperson Lee for the Dong-gu·Gunwi-gun Gap constituency.

Cho Gwanghan, a Supreme Council member considered part of the pro-leadership faction, appeared on KBS that day, stating, "It may be a good idea to have a fresh businessperson-turned-lawmaker (Choi) and a political newcomer (former Chairperson Lee) face off against each other." Within the party, there are concerns that discord over nominations could affect the general election. Deputy Head of Organization Kang Myeonggu questioned, "If those with a certain level of support are cut off, will local residents accept that?"

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