Joo Ho-young: "Will Decide Future After Appeal Ruling... Jang Dong-hyuk Must Take Responsibility for Nomination Failure"

"Press Conference Held at National Assembly Communication Hall on April 8"
"The Biggest Obstacle for the People Power Party in the Local Elections Is the Jang Dong-hyuk Leadership"

Joo Ho-young, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who was cut off (excluded from nomination) in the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral primary, sharply criticized the party leadership, stating that “Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, should be held responsible for the nomination failure.” He also said that he would decide whether to run as an independent or take other action only after the court's decision on his injunction appeal.

On April 8, Deputy Speaker Joo held a press conference at the National Assembly’s Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, and said, “The biggest obstacle for us (the People Power Party) in this election is the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership itself.” He urged, “Whether it be an emergency committee or an election committee, the party leadership must immediately establish a new responsible system to rebuild the party.”

He continued, “If there is one obstacle that must first be removed for the restoration and revival of conservatism, I believe it is the ‘Jang Dong-hyuk leadership.’ Trying to run an election with a leadership that has lost public support sounds like an intention not to win, but rather to lose and avoid responsibility,” he criticized.

Joo Ho-young, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly who was cut off (excluded from nomination) in the People Power Party's Daegu mayoral primary, held a press conference at the National Assembly's Communication Office on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News

At the press conference, Deputy Speaker Joo also reiterated the unfairness of the People Power Party's nomination process. He said, “The essence of the Daegu mayoral nomination issue is not my personal situation, but the disorder in our party’s nomination system,” and pointed out, “If this structure is not fixed, we will repeat the same tragedy in the general election two years from now.”

Previously, the People Power Party’s Nomination Committee cut off both Deputy Speaker Joo and former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook from the Daegu mayoral primary. Deputy Speaker Joo raised concerns about the transparency of the nomination process and filed for an injunction with the court to suspend its effect, but this was rejected on April 3. He has since appealed the decision and is awaiting the outcome.

There have been discussions in political circles about the possibility of Deputy Speaker Joo leaving the party or running as an independent, but on this day, he did not make his position clear. He said, “Please see this issue not as a matter of whether I run as an independent, but as a process of correcting the People Power Party’s nomination failures and restoring transparency in the election process.”

Controversy surrounding the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral nomination is expected to continue for the time being. Lee Jin-sook, the former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson, who was also cut off from the race, remains firm in her intention to run for Daegu mayor.

Meanwhile, Kim Boo-kyum, former Prime Minister, who was confirmed as the Daegu mayoral candidate for the Democratic Party, will officially register as a candidate with the Daegu Mayoral Election Commission on April 9 and begin his full-scale campaign. As former Prime Minister Kim maintains a lead in public opinion polls, there is a growing sense of crisis both inside and outside the People Power Party.

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