People Power Party Haman Governor Primary Candidates Urge Withdrawal of Nominee Over Party Member List Leak Suspicion

Preliminary candidates who participated in the People's Power Party primary for the Haman County Governor in Gyeongnam have called for the withdrawal of the nomination of final candidate Cho Young-je.

On April 20, preliminary candidates Lee Manho, Lee Boyoung, and Lee Sungyong held a press conference in the briefing room of the provincial council, claiming that candidate Cho had been reported to the Election Commission for allegedly disseminating false information and that there were suspicions of leaking the list of responsible party members in the Haman region during the primary process. They demanded the cancellation of his nomination.

Lee Sungyong, preliminary candidate for the mayor of Hamangun, Gyeongnam Province from the People Power Party, along with related parties and supporters of preliminary candidates Lee Manho and Lee Bomyung, are raising suspicions against candidate Cho, alleging false statements about the final candidate Cho Youngje, and are calling for the withdrawal of the nomination.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They stated, "We urge the cancellation of candidate Cho, who is at the center of the allegations of illegal leaking and collusion regarding the party member list, and whose candidacy is tainted with moral flaws and falsehoods." They added, "The nomination of candidate Cho, who destroyed the fairness of the primary with immoral and illegal behavior, must be immediately withdrawn."

They continued, "The primary should be a sacred process to earn the trust of party members and county residents, but candidate Cho deceived public sentiment with falsehoods and abandoned even the minimum moral conscience required of a public official," criticizing that, "This is a betrayal of fellow candidates who worked hard together and a direct challenge to the county's residents who long for change in Haman."

They further stated, "Candidate Cho must confess all actions taken during the primary process and immediately step down," and added, "The judicial authorities and the Election Commission must investigate thoroughly, leaving no suspicion unexamined."

A member of the People Power Party in the Haman area of Gyeongnam is showing election campaign materials for a specific candidate, which were sent to responsible party members, to the press.
[Photo by Lee Seryung]

The press conference was attended by Lee Sungyong, representatives from the campaign offices of Lee Boyoung and Lee Manho, as well as supporters of each candidate.

The attendees explained that, before the primary, text messages promoting a specific candidate were sent to newly joined responsible party members in the Haman area, suggesting that there were indications the list of responsible party members had been leaked from the Haman County Party Association of the People Power Party.

They also stated that candidate Cho was reported to the Election Commission for entering false information, such as claiming to be the "confirmed Haman County Governor candidate," before the primary results were announced.

Preliminary candidate Lee Sungyong said, "I was desperate to let the truth be known, which is why I held this press conference," and added, "I hope the provincial and central party headquarters will make a clear judgment on this matter."

Local party member Jeong Chanyoon commented, "Since the primary was to be held for responsible party members, all candidates were desperate to obtain the party member list," and insisted, "The provincial and central parties must clearly investigate this matter so that such incidents never happen again."

Final candidate nomination withdrawal press release signed by Manho Lee, Boyoung Lee, and Seongyong Lee, preliminary candidates for the People Power Party in Haman County, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Seryeong Lee

The three candidate camps plan to hold a rally on April 22 in front of the provincial party office, demanding the withdrawal of the nomination for Haman County Governor, and to conduct a head-shaving protest.

Additionally, they are planning rallies and solo protests within Haman County, as well as collecting and submitting withdrawal forms for responsible party members in the county.

They also intend to take legal action, consulting legal experts to report candidate Cho to the Election Commission.

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