Ahn Gyu-baek Declares Candidacy as Democratic Party Floor Leader, Vows to Lead Local Election Victory with Determination to Win or Die

Commitment to Political Reform, Empowering Livelihood Values, and Victory in Local Elections

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 21st, Ahn Gyu-baek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced his intention to run for the next floor leader election, stating, "I will strongly pursue what I believe is right, but always communicate with the people on the ground." He especially said, "The metropolitan area is the biggest battleground in this local election, and we will concentrate all party efforts to win the local elections," adding, "I will lead the local elections to victory with a desperate determination."

On the same day, Ahn stated on Facebook, "We must change properly to survive." He said, "Although the candidate's capabilities were worlds apart, on March 9, we were not chosen. Political change and political reform are urgent," and added, "If we settle for 172 seats, the Democratic Party will only survive for two more years. We must not hesitate in the face of urgent reform tasks."

He continued, "The Democratic Party must truly change to be a competent opposition party to survive," listing the main tasks as ▲ promoting political reform ▲ establishing the principle of reward and punishment ▲ revitalizing internal party discussions ▲ forming a fierce standing committee. He said, "The Moon Jae-in administration's achievements were overshadowed by real estate issues, but if the people said no, we should have boldly given up," and pledged, "I will arm myself with the values of livelihood and practicality."

He also said, "(President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol) clearly showed incompetence and arrogance during the discussion process of relocating the presidential office," and added, "We will change to be a true opposition party so that the next five years will not be a thorny path for the people."

In the floor leader election scheduled for the 24th, so far, Park Hong-geun and Lee Won-wook have expressed their intention to run via SNS and appealed for support, and Park Kwang-on has also officially declared his candidacy. It is also known that Kim Kyung-hyup will soon announce his intention to run.

Among them, Park Hong-geun is affiliated with former Governor Lee Jae-myung’s faction, Park Kwang-on with former Leader Lee Nak-yeon’s faction. Lee Won-wook is from the Jeong Se-gyun faction, the same as Ahn, and Kim Kyung-hyup is from the Lee Hae-chan faction, pro-Moon Jae-in.