People Power Party's Metropolitan Proportional Youth Audition Shaken from the Start... A Look at Judges Including Hyukjae Lee

Internal Opposition Over Appointment of Certain Judges

Clash with Pledge to "Exclude Those with Criminal or Corrupt Histories"

Several Controversial Figures Among Preliminary Round Passers

Controversy has arisen over the composition of the judging panel and the backgrounds of the candidates in the People Power Party's "Youth Proportional Councilor Audition" initiative, which is being promoted ahead of the June 3 local elections.

On March 25, the People Power Party released the list of judges for the youth audition. Assemblyman Kang Myunggu will serve as the head judge, joined by Assemblywoman Jo Jiyeon, short track gold medalist Song Seokwoo, National Federation of 100-Year Small Businessmen Director of External Cooperation Jung Junha, Chung-Ang University Student Committee Chair Kim Chaesu, and broadcaster Lee Hyukjae. Regarding the appointments, the party stated, "We have included external figures from various fields to select talent from a broader perspective."

Comedian Lee Hyukjae appealing for support of People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moonsoo at Seoul Station Plaza around May last year. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

However, there has been criticism within the party regarding the appropriateness of appointing Lee Hyukjae due to his past record. Lee suspended his entertainment career after an assault case in 2010, and in 2024, he was listed as a major delinquent taxpayer after failing to pay more than 200 million won in taxes. Some have pointed out that this contradicts the leadership's earlier statement that "anyone with a history of crime or corruption will be completely disqualified from candidacy."

The controversy is not limited to the judging panel, but has also spread to some of the audition participants. It became known that among the 64 candidates who passed the preliminary round, some advocated for "Yoon Again" or mentioned conspiracy theories about the Itaewon disaster and allegations of election fraud. Lee Seunghoon, a preliminary candidate for the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, stated in his self-introduction, "I have kept a close eye on forces attempting to politically exploit tragedies like the Itaewon accident to subvert the system." Kim Youngrok, a Changwon City councilor running as a preliminary candidate for the South Gyeongsang Provincial Council, raised suspicions about the possibility of election fraud in relation to the voting method.

In addition, Lee Sungjik, the legal counsel for YouTuber Jeon Hangil, also participated in the audition and reportedly made public statements on social media such as "Yoon Again, eradicate election fraud." With the growing debate over political bias, there are concerns that the selection process may be reflecting specific political messages, contrary to the stated purpose of discovering young talent. Although the People Power Party is emphasizing the inclusion of external judges and the competitive selection among diverse applicants, controversy over fairness and standards is expected to continue for the time being.

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