Geum Tae-seop Ultimately Defends 'Gangseo-gap'... Kim Nam-guk Strategically Redeployed to Another Area

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The Democratic Party's Nomination Management Committee decided on the 21st to reassign lawyer Kim Nam-guk, who applied for the nomination in Seoul Gangseo-gap, the constituency of Assemblyman Geum Tae-seop, to another strategic district. Assemblyman Geum is expected to compete in a primary against other preliminary candidates in Gangseo-gap.

Lee Geun-hyung, the party's Strategic Planning Committee chairman and secretary of the Nomination Committee, stated at a briefing after the meeting on the 21st, "Following the party leadership's request to find a way to utilize both candidates as valuable resources for our party, we have practically reviewed the matter and decided to prioritize placing lawyer Kim in strategic electoral districts."

He added, "The only way to save both candidates is to avoid having them compete against each other in a primary. Lawyer Kim is one of the young talents our party has been seeking. Besides his expertise as a legal professional, his thoughts on the direction and vision for our society align with the values pursued by the Democratic Party."

Accordingly, Gangseo-gap will conduct suitability surveys among four candidates, including Assemblyman Geum, Ahn Seong-hyun, Han Myung-hee, and Kang Seon-woo, and then narrow down the candidates for a primary election. Lawyer Kim's constituency has not yet been determined.

▲Oh Je-se, Chairman of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of the 'That Island, Pagoda' special exhibition held at the National Assembly on the 3rd.

On the same day, four-term incumbent Assemblyman Oh Je-se was 'cut off' (excluded from nomination). The Nomination Committee designated Cheongju Seowon in Chungbuk, Oh's constituency, as a primary district and selected Lee Kwang-hee and Lee Jang-seop as candidates for the primary, excluding Oh.

Chairman Lee explained, "This decision was made after comprehensively considering candidate suitability surveys, incumbent evaluations, legislative performance, and regional support for re-election in opinion polls, resulting in the scoring for the review."

The Nomination Committee also decided to grant uncontested nominations in 38 districts, including 25 incumbent-held constituencies. The uncontested incumbent districts are ▲Seoul Gwangjin-gap (Jeon Hye-sook) ▲Gangnam-eul (Jeon Hyun-hee) ▲Songpa-byeong (Nam In-soon) ▲Busan Jingu-gap (Kim Young-choon) ▲Nam-gu-eul (Park Jae-ho) ▲Bukgangseo-gap (Jeon Jae-soo) ▲Haeundae-eul (Yoon Jun-ho) ▲Saha-gap (Choi In-ho) ▲Yeonje (Kim Hae-young) ▲Daegu Bukgu-eul (Hong Ui-rak) ▲Suseong-gap (Kim Boo-kyum) ▲Gyeonggi Bucheon Sosa (Kim Sang-hee) ▲Chungbuk Cheongju Heungdeok (Do Jong-hwan) ▲Chungnam Asan-eul (Kang Hoon-sik).

Uncontested nominations for non-incumbents include ▲Seoul Yangcheon-eul (Lee Yong-seon) ▲Gangseo-eul (Jin Sung-jun) ▲Incheon Michuhol-gap (Heo Jong-sik) ▲Bupyeong-gap (Hong Mi-young) ▲Chungnam Gongju-Buyeo ▲Cheongyang (Park Soo-hyun) ▲Asan-gap (Bok Ki-wang) ▲Seosan Taean (Jo Han-gi).

Additionally, the Nomination Committee designated eight districts, including Cheongju Seowon, as primary election districts. These are ▲Busan Jung-Yeongdo (Kim Bi-o, Kim Yong-won, Park Young-mi) ▲Gwangju Seo-gu-eul (Go Sam-seok, Yang Hyang-ja, Lee Nam-jae) ▲Gyeonggi Siheung-gap (Moon Jeong-bok, Lee Gil-ho) ▲Anseong (Lee Gyu-min, Lim Won-bin) ▲Jeonbuk Jeonju-gap (Kim Geum-ok, Kim Yoon-duk) ▲Jeonju-eul (Lee Deok-chun, Lee Sang-jik) ▲Namwon-Imsil-Sunchang (Park Hee-seung, Lee Kang-rae).

The Nomination Committee also requested the Strategic Nomination Committee to designate Seoul Geumcheon-eul, where Assemblyman Lee Hoon declared he would not run, as a strategic district.