Party Nomination Dispute Between Ruling and Opposition... Ruling Party: "Lee Jae-myung Loyalty Nomination" vs Opposition: "System Disguised Factionalism"

by Kong Byeongseon

Published 24 Feb.2024 17:37(KST)

With the general election scheduled for April, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in disputes, criticizing each other's nomination processes.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 'People's Future Central Party Founding Convention' held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 24th, Kim Minsu, spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary, "The Democratic Party's nomination criterion is solely loyalty to Representative Lee Jae-myung," and criticized, "Is the Democratic Party's nomination system ultimately based on the absolute standard of 'bulletproof' ability to defend Representative Lee?" He also said, "For the normalization of the 22nd National Assembly, the Lee Jae-myung-style Jirok-wima (指鹿爲馬, calling a deer a horse) nomination must stop."

Han Dong-hoon, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, also pointed out the Democratic Party's nomination system. Regarding the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee's decision to disclose the vote counting process to all primary candidates, Han said, "This is a measure to show that there is no room for personal interests to intervene in the People Power Party's nomination, unlike the Democratic Party," and added, "Can Lee's Democratic Party do this? If not, the Democratic Party has a fake system nomination, and the People Power Party has a real system nomination."

The Reform New Party also highlighted problems with the Democratic Party's nomination. Lee Gi-in, spokesperson for the Reform New Party, advised in a commentary, "If you want to be a constitutional institution representing the people, wouldn't it be necessary to make efforts to have at least minimal public appeal?" This was a criticism of Democratic Party's full-time deputy spokesperson Ahn Gwiyeong, who received a strategic nomination for Seoul Dobong-gap, for previously stating on YouTube that "Representative Lee Jae-myung is more handsome than actor Cha Eun-woo."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the other hand, the Democratic Party criticized the People Power Party's nomination process. Park Seong-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a commentary, "(The People Power Party) had Chairman Han and floor leader Yoon Jae-ok score the party contribution, which accounts for 15% of the total points," and pointed out, "The scoring system announced by the People Power Party as a system nomination is a disguised favoritism." He also demanded, "On what standards and grounds did these two decide the party contribution? Chairman Han has already caused controversy by favoring a specific candidate. Disclose the grounds and reasons for how the party contribution was scored in detail."