PPP to Hold 'One-Shot Primary' for Four Gyeonggi Governor Candidates... Final Nominee to Be Announced on May 2

Former Vice Governor Seo Seungwoo Advances to Cheongju Mayoral Main Primary

The People Power Party has decided to include four candidates—Yang Hyangja and Cho Gwanghan, both Supreme Council members of the People Power Party, as well as former lawmaker Ham Jingyu and former MBC announcer Lee Seongbae—in the primary for Gyeonggi Province Governor.

Deokhum Park, Chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Deokhumm Park, Chairman of the People Power Party Nomination Management Committee, announced on April 20 at the party’s central headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, “We have decided to conduct a primary among the four candidates—Yang Hyangja, Lee Seongbae, Cho Gwanghan, and Ham Jingyu—who applied for the Gyeonggi Governor nomination.”

The People Power Party decided to include not only Supreme Council member Yang and former lawmaker Ham, who applied for the Gyeonggi Governor nomination last month, but also Supreme Council member Cho and former announcer Lee, who applied through an additional recruitment this month, in the primary. Chairman Park explained that the reason for proceeding with an immediate, one-shot primary is that “there is no time to spare.”

The People Power Party will register and announce the candidates on April 21, followed by two rounds of debates by April 29. The main primary election will be held over two days, from April 30 to May 1. The final candidate is scheduled to be announced on May 2. Chairman Park stated, “I will provide further details once additional specific schedules are confirmed.”

Within the party, there had been concerns about the delay in selecting the candidate for Gyeonggi Governor, the head of the nation’s largest metropolitan government. People Power Party lawmakers whose constituencies are in Gyeonggi Province—Kim Seonggyo, Kim Sungwon, Song Seokjun, Ahn Cheolsoo, Kim Eunhye, and Kim Yongtae—had previously urged the party to “finalize the Gyeonggi Governor candidate and announce the final nominee as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the party’s Nomination Management Committee has selected incumbent Cheongju Mayor Lee Beomseok and former North Chungcheong Province Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs Seo Seungwoo as preliminary candidates for the Cheongju mayoral main primary. The Cheongju mayoral primary election will be held on April 29 and 30, and the final candidate will be announced on May 1.

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