"Feeling Powerless and Limited in Established Politics"… Political Newcomer Hwang Sang-mu's Sharp Criticism of 'Gonggwanwi's Primary Reversal'

Hwang Sang-mu, a preliminary candidate for governor of Gangwon Province from the People Power Party, held a press conference on the morning of the 19th at the Gangwon Provincial Government briefing room to express his position on the Central Party's Nomination Management Committee's decision to reverse the primary election. Photo by Ra Young-cheol

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Hwang Sang-mu, a preliminary candidate for governor of Gangwon Province from the People Power Party, stated that while his "basic position of humbly accepting" the party’s nomination management committee’s decision to overturn the primary remains unchanged, he strongly criticized the process, saying, "There are quite a few problems in that process. I want to ask whether it is not assumed that one must accept the screening results when applying for the nomination review."

On the 19th, Hwang held a press conference at the Gangwon Provincial Government briefing room and said, "The philosophy and policy direction of the newly launched Yoon Seok-yeol administration and our party is national unity and progress toward the future," adding, "We have lost four previous gubernatorial elections, and this must not be repeated."

He continued, "If there is an objection to the nomination committee’s decision, a re-examination can be requested and conducted through a proper decision-making process. However, the decision being overturned through a kind of push-and-pull process involving a hunger strike and some individuals going to the hunger strike site is far from the normal decision-making process of a political party," expressing the dissatisfaction he had held back until now.

He further stated, "Not once was I, the party member involved, asked for my opinion, and it was as if the decision could be overturned just by apologizing. I cannot accept that the apology, which had been refused for three years, was judged to be sincere after only one hour. This is not a normal process," reiterating his concerns.

He also expressed a sense of powerlessness toward the established political circles and voiced the limitations he faces as a political newcomer.

Candidate Hwang said, "The entrenched vested interests in the existing political circles are very high. I felt this deeply. The situation and environment are by no means easy for a political newcomer to settle in," adding, "However, I thought that if I appealed sincerely, it would be accepted, but I have come to realize that there are many limitations in a short election period."

He also said, "The current primary system, which conducts opinion polls with 50% party members and 50% general public for political newcomers like me, is like a tilted playing field. The debate time is only 55 minutes, which is regrettable."

He raised the level of criticism toward his competing candidates, which he had restrained until now.

Regarding candidate Kim Jin-tae, he directly stated, "In any case, he was a candidate who was pointed out by the citizens of Chuncheon as the decisive reason for losing the last general election due to causing division and conflict."

He added, "There are serious problems with his moderate expansion, so how can he go to the general election and regain the 12 years of lost provincial government for our party? I believe the residents can sufficiently judge whether he can truly represent Gangwon Province."

In particular, he questioned, "Candidate Kim refused to apologize to the public for three years after the 2019 National Assembly 5.18 public hearing, but after hearing the spokesperson of the nomination committee, he immediately ended his hunger strike and officially apologized within about an hour. I want to ask how sincere that apology really is."

He said, "There is great disappointment among the residents over the re-decision for a candidate who has continuously fostered division and social conflict despite the need to realize new politics for national harmony and inclusion."

However, candidate Hwang said, "I have not engaged in negative campaigning to compete in good faith so far, and my position will not change going forward," expressing his determination, "I will do my best to fully demonstrate my vision and capabilities in the remaining TV debates."

As the Gangwon gubernatorial primary phase returns to square one, tarnished with the stigma of a 'rubber-band nomination,' signs are emerging that the tensions between candidate camps may escalate into emotional confrontations.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.