"How to Accept the Unfair Nomination Exclusion"... The Rebellion of Veteran Lawmakers Running as Independents

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Future United Party's nomination management committee has wielded the 'cut-off (nomination exclusion)' blade against senior figures in the Busan and Gyeongnam (PK) region, including former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Tae-ho. Former leader Hong and former governor Kim have fiercely opposed this and are preparing to run as independents. With only the announcement of the Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) nominations remaining, there is interest in whether additional cut-offs will trigger further independent candidacies.

On the morning of the 6th, former leader Hong posted on his Facebook account, "I will contemplate from today whether accepting the vile nomination exclusion, which is a collaboration between Hwang Kyo-ahn's faction's competitor elimination and Kim Hyung-oh's personal vendetta as the nomination committee chairman, is truly befitting of Hong Joon-pyo." He added, "The contemplation will not be long." This indicates he will soon clarify his position, and a return to his hometown to run as an independent is highly anticipated. Former governor Kim, who insisted on running in his hometown but was cut off, also expressed his intention to run as an independent in a phone interview with the media. Following lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun and Lee Hyun-jae, independent candidacies in protest of nominations seem to be continuing.

Former leader Hong's anger was sparked by the nomination committee's announcement the previous day of a large-scale cut-off of senior PK figures. Lee Ju-young, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and a five-term Liberty Korea Party lawmaker, was cut off, and proportional representative lawmaker Kim Sung-tae, who declared his candidacy in Lee's district of Masanhappo-gu, was naturally excluded as well. Additionally, in Gyeongnam's Jinju-eul and Geoje districts, four-term lawmaker Kim Jae-kyung and two-term lawmaker Kim Han-pyo were each excluded from nominations. Despite 10 PK lawmakers having already declared they would not run, six more were cut off. This raises the possibility that more independents may emerge among those excluded.

Kim Hyung-oh, chairman of the nomination committee, emphasized the committee's reform nomination principles. He told reporters, "We considered all possibilities, including former leader Hong's potential independent run," and added, "There was a consistent direction and policy within the committee, and after in-depth discussions, the decision was made without leaving any backdoor open." However, dissatisfaction has arisen within the United Party after former Busan City Council member Hwang Bo-seung-hee, who was a secretary to Chairman Kim during his time as a lawmaker, was included in the primary for Busan Jung and Yeongdo districts, which had been controversial due to lawmaker Lee Eon-ju's strategic nomination in Busan. Critics argue that Chairman Kim's reform nomination image is being overshadowed by accusations of 'favoring his own people.'

Depending on the scale of additional cut-offs in the upcoming TK nomination announcement, the size of the independent rebellion may grow further. The nomination committee will announce the results of the review for TK and other regions without confirmed nominations on the 6th and 7th. In TK, where interviews began on the 2nd amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee has declared it will pursue a turnover rate of over 50%. Since the number of withdrawals in TK is only half that of PK, the scale of cut-offs is expected to be larger. If independent candidacies surge among these as well, it could cause vote splitting in the conservative stronghold.