Nomination Disputes Flood People Power Party With Injunctions... Reform New Party Engages in "Gleaning"

Park Ilha, Mayor of Dongjak District, Runs Under Reform New Party Banner

Rising Nomination Disputes Within People Power Party Lead to More Court Injunctions

Wave of Defections and Independent Bids Raises Possibility of Conservative Vote Split

The conflict over the nomination of basic local government heads within the People Power Party has escalated into legal battles, intensifying the aftermath of the local elections. The Reform New Party is seizing this as an opportunity to broaden its base, and there is analysis that the nomination disputes within the two major parties are creating openings for third-party candidates to make inroads.

According to the political community as of May 8, Park Ilha, who was previously affiliated with the People Power Party and is currently Mayor of Dongjak District in Seoul, has switched to the Reform New Party and will run in the June 3 local elections. Mayor Park filed for a court injunction to suspend the effects of the nomination cutoff, but his request was dismissed on the 7th.

The Reform New Party is actively recruiting figures who have left the conservative bloc. Lee Joonseok, leader of the Reform New Party, targeted the People Power Party's nomination conflict by stating, "We are looking out for those who have suffered unfair treatment," and added, "We will bring in future-oriented and reform-minded individuals to work together."

Park Ilha, mayor of Dongjak District who joined the Reform New Party (right in the photo), is announcing his position regarding his candidacy in the June 3 local elections alongside Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, at the National Assembly communication center on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Within the People Power Party, nomination disputes are increasingly leading to court decisions. On May 4, the court accepted an injunction filed by preliminary candidates for the positions of county head in Haman and Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, to suspend the effects of the nomination. Subsequently, the Central Party's Nomination Management Committee decided to hold a primary, but as some candidates resisted, the nomination process became further entangled. It is reported that some candidates are even considering running as independents.

There has been a series of defections and independent candidacies in response to dissatisfaction with the nomination process. Jo Kyuil, the current mayor of Jinju, and Kim Yuncheol, the current county head of Hapcheon, declared their intention to run as independents after leaving the party. Kim Wanggyu, a council member of Gangwon Province, left the People Power Party and joined the Democratic Party to run for the position of county head in Yanggu.

In local political circles, there is growing concern over nomination management and the potential for the conservative vote to be split. A political figure from South Gyeongsang Province commented, "If independent candidacies and moves to the Reform New Party continue, the conservative vote could be divided, creating a situation where the Democratic Party could win by default."

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