All-Member Vote and Arrest Consent... The Battle of In Nak-yeon Has Begun

"Being Judged by the People Is Responsible Politics"
Victory in By-election Would Give Advantage Over Lee Jae-myung
Approval of Jeong Jeong-sun's Arrest Motion Also Helps Shake Off 'Risk'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The Democratic Party of Korea has virtually decided to field candidates in the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections scheduled for April next year. The party also effectively passed a motion to consent to the arrest of Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Jeong-sun, who is facing charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, signaling a move toward party reform. Analysts suggest that Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon has made a strategic move toward the presidential race.

Choi In-ho, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, said in an interview with MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on the 30th, "Once the party constitution amendment is completed next week, we must immediately establish a Public Office Candidate Verification Committee."

He noted that there is just over a month left until the preliminary candidate registration for next year's by-elections and said, "This election requires us to conduct strict verification of candidates, so even if it takes time, the Public Office Candidate Verification Committee must carry out thorough and rigorous screening." He believes there is a high likelihood that the party constitution amendment will pass in the all-member vote, indicating that the decision to hold the vote was made with the intention of fielding candidates.

The Democratic Party's decision is based on the judgment that, as the ruling party, fielding candidates and facing the judgment of the public aligns with the principles of responsible politics. Leader Lee stated the day before, "After listening to opinions inside and outside the party for a long time, I came to the conclusion that not fielding candidates is not the only responsible choice; rather, being judged through nominations is the responsible course of action."

This is closely related to Lee's "presidential plan." According to the rule of "separation of party leadership and presidential candidacy one year before the presidential election," if he runs for president, he must resign before March 9 next year. Immediately after resigning, he is likely to lead the election as the campaign committee chairman. Since the Seoul mayoral race has the character of a "preliminary presidential battle," a victory could give him an advantage in the intra-party competition against Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung.

The passage of the motion to consent to the arrest of Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Jeong-sun, who is facing charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, is also seen in the same context. Analysts interpret this as the party showing signs of reform and aiming to minimize risks in the by-elections and the presidential election.

Meanwhile, as the Democratic Party moves toward fielding candidates in the by-elections, attention is also turning to potential Seoul mayoral candidates within the party. Currently, Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is considered the most likely candidate. Minister Park has considerable weight within the party, having served as a four-term lawmaker, floor leader, and minister. Especially since the Seoul mayoral vacancy arose from sexual harassment allegations, her status as a "female candidate" is a significant advantage.

Woo Sang-ho, also a former floor leader and four-term lawmaker, is weighing a run. On the same day, he appeared on the radio and said regarding his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election, "If the party's policy is decided, I will actively consider running based on that."

Additionally, Park Ju-min, who raised his profile by running for party leader and is currently Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, and Park Yong-jin, known as the "Samsung sniper," are also mentioned as potential candidates, both self-nominated and nominated by others.