PPP Gyeonggi Lawmakers: "Immediate Launch of Regional Campaign Committee... Outpost for Seoul Metropolitan Victory"

"We Will Embrace Public Sentiment Disappointed with the Central Party"

Lawmakers of the People Power Party representing constituencies in Gyeonggi Province have announced their intention to form and operate their own regional election campaign committee before the central party's election committee is established. This move appears to be aimed at alleviating local concerns caused by the delayed selection process for the Gyeonggi governor candidate and at distancing themselves from the central party to broaden their appeal to centrist voters.

People Power Party Nomination Management Committee. Yonhap News Agency

On April 21, six People Power Party lawmakers from Gyeonggi Province—Kim Seon-kyo, Kim Sung-won, Kim Yong-tae, Kim Eun-hye, Song Seok-jun, and Ahn Cheol-soo—held a press conference at the National Assembly's communication center, announcing, "We will immediately launch a Gyeonggi Province campaign committee." They added, "We, who are on the ground, will personally drive the engine," and explained, "In this crisis situation, Gyeonggi will take the lead to become the outpost for victory in the Seoul metropolitan area."

The lawmakers stated, "We will personally create and take responsibility for local pledges since we know the field best," and declared, "We will directly address key issues that can change the lives of Gyeonggi residents, such as the reconstruction of the first-generation new towns, the completion of the GTX (Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area Express Railway), support for the semiconductor cluster, and balanced development of northern Gyeonggi." They also mentioned, "As soon as nominations are finalized in Gyeonggi, we will activate an integrated election strategy that encompasses both regional and local levels."

There is an interpretation that the decision of Gyeonggi lawmakers to proactively form a separate campaign committee before the central party sets up its own is a strategic response targeting centrist voters in the capital region. As the timeline for the Gyeonggi governor primary has been delayed, a sense of crisis is growing on the ground. Unlike the Democratic Party, where Assemblywoman Choo Mi-ae was confirmed early on and has already begun campaigning, the People Power Party has only recently confirmed four preliminary candidates and set a primary schedule.

Regarding the establishment of their own campaign committee, Assemblyman Song Seok-jun said, "We intend to mobilize all of our party’s capabilities and resources to proactively build our organization, regardless of the delayed decision on the Gyeonggi governor candidate, by fully operating all channels, communication pathways, and networks with the public." He added, "At the provincial party level, we intend to prepare a large vessel that can accommodate the diverse public sentiment disappointed with the central party."

The lawmakers emphasized that they plan to proceed with the launch of the Gyeonggi campaign committee as quickly as possible. They have also left open the possibility of forming a joint campaign committee for the entire Seoul metropolitan area. Assemblyman Kim Seon-kyo said, "We are currently in the final stages of nominating basic and metropolitan council members and local government heads," adding, "We are working swiftly to bring all these elements together for the launch." He also explained, "We will launch our own campaign committee, and once the final candidate is selected, they will join us."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party Nomination Management Committee announced the previous day that it would include four individuals—Supreme Council members Yang Hyang-ja and Cho Gwang-han, former lawmaker Ham Jin-kyu, and former MBC announcer Lee Seong-bae—in the Gyeonggi governor primary. The committee has indicated that the four preliminary candidates will participate in a 'one-shot primary,' in which the final candidate is selected after debates and a vote. The announcement of the final candidate is scheduled for May 2.

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