Woo Sang-ho, Chief of the General Election Countermeasures Headquarters, is giving a greeting at the disbandment ceremony of the Election Countermeasures Committee held on the afternoon of the 10th at the Democratic Party Central Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Woo Sang-ho, a member of the Democratic Party who served as the General Headquarters Chief of the Election Countermeasures Committee, announced on the 15th that he would give up his intention to run for Seoul mayor in the June local elections.
On the same day, Woo posted on his social media (SNS), "I have long intended to run for Seoul mayor and have been preparing for it, but I had to give up that dream first," adding, "Since I declared that I will not run in the 22nd National Assembly election, only about two years remain in my term as a National Assembly member."
Woo first said, "I would like to apologize to the people who are hurt and disappointed by the presidential election defeat. After the disbandment ceremony of the election committee on March 10, I was so confused for several days that I could not think of anything," and added, "I was at a loss as to how to take responsibility."
He continued, "There is a debate about responsibility among party members regarding the current emergency committee. There are various ways to take responsibility," and said, "People like me who have stepped down are needed, and people who take responsibility for recovery are also needed. Since we must overcome this painful process together, I hope the debate about responsibility will end here." This is interpreted as pointing to the internal conflict over whether Yoon Ho-jung, the floor leader, should resign from his position as emergency committee chairman.
Woo also said, "It is time to gather wisdom on how to reorganize the party and what to start anew," and suggested, "Even if it is not satisfactory, since the system has been reorganized, let's review what we lacked and prepare alternatives."
He added, "The local elections are also an evaluation election of local governments," and said, "Winning an election is not just about reorganizing the party well. Good pledges and good candidates must be prepared to bear fruit."
He emphasized, "The Democratic Party is a party strong in crisis," and said, "Let's gather our strength again. Let's start anew with a humble attitude toward the people's evaluation."
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