'Nomination Exclusion' Im Jong-seok: "I Will Accept the Party's Decision"

by Jang Heejun

Published 04 Mar.2024 07:56(KST)

Updated 04 Mar.2024 13:00(KST)

'Stock Request' Accepted by Party Decision After Five Days

Former Blue House Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok, who was excluded from the Democratic Party's nomination, has expressed his intention to accept the party's decision.

On the morning of the 4th, Lim wrote on his Facebook, "I accept the party's decision." He did not make any further remarks regarding his future course of action, including whether he would leave the party.

Former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 28th, expressing his position on the Democratic Party's decision to exclude him from the primary (cutoff). Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

At a press conference on the 28th of last month, Lim had requested the party to reconsider after the party's Strategic Nomination Management Committee excluded him from the Seoul Jung-gu Seongdong-gu Gap district and recommended former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee instead. However, the party leadership did not discuss Lim's nomination issue even after the late-night Supreme Council meeting on the 1st. This was interpreted as effectively maintaining the cut-off (nomination exclusion) decision.

In response, Lim wrote on Facebook the next day, "I fully understood Representative Lee Jae-myung's intentions," and it was reported that he met with Lee Nak-yeon, co-representative of the New Future Party, to discuss his future course of action. Inside and outside the party, Lim's 'acceptance message' is interpreted as meaning he will not immediately leave the party, while some also see the possibility that he may join the pro-Moon Jae-in faction's collective actions protesting the nomination issue.