Reform New Party Busan Mayoral Candidate Jung Ihan Hospitalized... Park Hyungjun and Jeon Jaesu Also Visit

On the seventh day of hunger strike, health deteriorates... Jung transferred to hospital

Park Hyungjun: "Health and safety come before politics"

Jeon Jae-su: "We will seek a reasonable solution for the TV debate"

Jihan Jung, the Reform New Party candidate for Busan mayor, was transferred to the hospital after his health deteriorated while continuing a hunger strike in protest against being excluded from the TV debate hosted by broadcasters. His rival, Hyungjun Park, the People Power Party candidate, visited the hunger strike site, while Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate, visited the hospital and urged for Jung’s recovery.

According to the Reform New Party on May 14, Jung was urgently transferred to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. that day due to a sudden decline in his health. Jung had been continuing a hunger strike for seven days, starting on the 8th, in protest of his exclusion from the broadcaster's TV debate invitations, which was based on his poll standings and other criteria.

Hyungjun Park, the People Power Party candidate for Busan mayor, visited the hunger strike site of Jihan Jung, the Reform New Party candidate for Busan mayor, on the 14th. Photo by Jeongihan Campaign Team

The previous day, Jung filed for an injunction with the Busan District Court to prohibit the TV debate broadcast and also submitted a constitutional appeal. He stated, "The Busan mayoral election is a crucial election that will determine the future of Busan," adding, "Holding debates centered only on the two major party candidates, while excluding candidates who meet legal standards and representativeness, violates the principle of fair elections."

That afternoon, candidate Park visited the hunger strike site, expressed concern about Jung’s health, and urged him to end the hunger strike. Park said, "There are aspects of Jung’s concerns that I empathize with," but also emphasized, "Health and safety are more important than politics."

An official from Park’s campaign team stated, "There have not yet been any concrete discussions with Jung’s camp regarding participation in the TV debate," but added, "If circumstances allow in the future, we can consider creating a forum to hear the voices of young candidates."

Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Busan mayor, visited the hospital where Jeong Ihan, the Reform New Party's candidate for Busan mayor, was transferred on the 14th. Photo provided by Jeong Ihan’s campaign office

Initially, Jeon, the Democratic Party candidate, also planned to visit the hunger strike site, but after Jung was transferred to the hospital, he visited the hospital around 3:30 p.m. that day. Jeon’s team also commented on the TV debate participation issue, stating, "We will consult with the organizers to seek a reasonable solution."

Jung’s campaign office remarked, "We positively evaluate the proactive responses from the two major party candidates in a situation where debates are being held centered on these parties," and added, "We hope this will lead to a change in the attitudes of the media and related institutions, resulting in a debate where all candidates can participate."

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