Park Hyung-jun: "Kim Jong-in Recruited as 'One-Top' of the Election Committee... Hwang Kyo-ahn Focuses on Jongno Election" (Comprehensive)

Park Hyung-jun and Shin Se-don, co-chairmen of the United Future Party's joint election committee, are expressing their position on the recruitment of former leader Kim Jong-in at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party has recruited Kim Jong-in, the former emergency committee chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea. He will take on the role of the 'one-top' leader of the election committee, replacing Hwang Kyo-ahn, the party leader and general countermeasure committee chairman. Hwang, who personally visited Kim's home to persuade him to join, plans to focus on the Jongno election.

Park Hyung-joon, co-chairman of the United Future Party's joint election committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 26th and said, "Former Chairman Kim has agreed to take overall charge of election measures and will officially start work from this Sunday."

He explained, "This morning, former Chairman Kim decided to join the election committee. We fulfilled our promise with Leader Hwang this morning and visited former Chairman Kim's residence together with the two co-chairmen. We earnestly appealed to him to join in order to save the difficult country and achieve good results in the general election, and he gladly accepted the position of general election committee chairman."

However, he added that the official title for former Chairman Kim's role as general election committee chairman needs to be reconsidered later. Discussions about whether Leader Hwang will step down from the general election committee chairman position have not yet been finalized. He said, "We need to discuss the title further, but it will include the role of overseeing the election. The status of others has not been discussed, and Leader Hwang will entrust the overall election to former Chairman Kim and focus on the Jongno election."

Regarding the mention of nomination aftereffects as a condition for joining, he said, "Former Chairman Kim was very concerned about the country in this general election. He seems to have thought deeply about ensuring the public makes the right choice amid the Moon Jae-in administration's failures. Since the nominations have been finalized, there are no further issues regarding nominations." When asked if the recent party nomination invalidation incident was related to the recruitment of former Chairman Kim, he firmly denied any connection, saying, "There is no relation."