People Power Party Nomination Committee Confirms 29 Disqualified Candidates... Complete Exclusion from Nomination (Update)

The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee announced on the 6th that out of 849 applicants for the April 10 general election nomination, 29 were confirmed as disqualified candidates. Those over the age of 59, metropolitan/provincial party chairpersons, and district party chairpersons with prior experience were judged not to be political newcomers and were excluded from receiving additional points in the primary elections.

Jeong Young-hwan, the chair of the Nomination Committee, stated after the 4th committee meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, in the afternoon, "After thoroughly verifying the criminal records and disqualification status of all nomination applicants, 29 applicants were confirmed as disqualified candidates."

The committee plans to exclude these 29 individuals from participating in interviews starting on the 13th and from the nomination screening process altogether. For other applicants under review, criminal records that do not meet the disqualification criteria will be reflected as deductions in the morality evaluation during screening.

Regarding the adjustment index for lawmakers with three or more terms in the same electoral district, the committee decided to apply it without exception to △ districts with voter changes due to administrative district reorganization △ party-weak areas △ districts including winners from other parties with multiple terms. The adjustment index for candidates who have lost three or more times in the same district will also be applied without exception to those in party-weak areas who have lost three or more times.

Jeong Young-hwan, Chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee, is giving an opening remark at the first Nomination Management Committee meeting held on the 16th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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Meanwhile, those with experience in major party positions or candidacy in public elections (including intra-party primaries) under other parties were determined not to be political newcomers.

Specifically, this includes △ those over 59 years old △ metropolitan/provincial party chairpersons, district party chairpersons (including those with equivalent experience in other parties) △ metropolitan deputy heads △ those who have run in any public election managed by the Election Commission (including intra-party primaries) △ minister-level political appointees △ officials subject to personnel hearings, etc. Whether candidates with experience running in non-public elections are considered political newcomers will be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of the Nomination Committee members.

Chair Jeong said, "This reflects the committee's determination to minimize entry barriers for political newcomers and realize the maximum replacement that the public desires."

The committee discussed key electoral districts that can lead to victory in the general election and set the main concept as 'Future Mosaic.' Specifically, Seoul is designated as 'Korea's No. 1 Address,' Gyeonggi and Incheon as 'Opportunity,' Chungcheong as 'Growth,' Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam as 'Together,' and Honam as 'East-West Harmony.' Under these values, the committee explained that it will nominate diverse talents who will shape Korea's future.

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