[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The Democratic Party of Korea is reported to have conveyed party-level concerns to Moon Seokgyun, the standing vice chairman of Uijeongbu Gap in Gyeonggi Province and son of National Assembly Speaker Moon Heesang. This appears to be an effort to preemptively block the 'nomination risk' amid controversy over the inheritance of the constituency.
Kim Seonghwan, a member of the party serving as the chief secretary to the party leader, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' on the 22nd and said, "Recently, the value of fairness has greatly increased in our society, so we first conveyed the party's concerns and the public sentiment to Speaker Moon Heesang and the person involved," adding, "I expect he will make a wise decision."
When asked if they requested a voluntary decision, Kim said, "Since we conveyed the fact that the public sentiment and the party are taking this issue very seriously, I think he will judge and decide accordingly."
He added, "(Of course, he) may feel unfair," and "He actually has a lot of experience and has been active in the region for a long time, so he might think, 'What kind of dad's chance is that? It's my own competitiveness.'" He also explained, "In the past, there have been cases where constituencies were directly inherited."
When asked, "Even so, was the reason for conveying concerns because it might be a burden to the party?" he replied, "We conveyed the public sentiment."
Vice Chairman Moon declared his candidacy for Gyeonggi Uijeongbu Gap, the constituency of his father, Speaker Moon, sparking controversy over 'hereditary nomination.' In response, Kim Haeyoung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, publicly criticized on the 20th, saying, "It is difficult to accept the public sentiment when a child immediately receives the same party's nomination to run in a constituency where the parent is currently a member of the National Assembly."
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