Song Young-gil and Park Ju-min Excluded from Seoul Mayor Nomination... Park Ji-hyun Says "Primary Election Needed"

"Refusing to participate in the Seoul mayoral primary is no different from a declaration of defeat"

Jihyun Park, Co-Chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] As the Democratic Party's Strategic Nomination Management Committee decided on the 19th to exclude former leader Song Young-gil and lawmaker Park Joo-min from the nomination for the June 1 local election for Seoul mayor, Co-Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee Park Ji-hyun has protested, stating that "the Seoul mayor nomination should go through a primary."

On the early morning of the 20th, Park said on her Facebook, "Yesterday, the Strategic Nomination Committee decided to exclude former leader Song Young-gil and lawmaker Park Joo-min from the candidate selection for the June 1 Seoul mayoral election," adding, "I define this decision as one that ignores party members, Seoul citizens, and the public."

She pointed out, "Although I opposed several times, in Chungbuk, they nominated someone responsible for the real estate failure, which was the biggest cause of the election defeat," and "But in Seoul, they say they will eliminate the former party leader who devoted himself more than anyone else during the presidential election but took overall responsibility for the election result and stepped down."

She continued, "On behalf of the public and party members, I want to ask the Strategic Nomination Committee: Why are the standards different for Chungbuk and Seoul? Shouldn't candidate Noh Young-min, who caused the biggest reason for the presidential election defeat due to real estate failure, bear greater responsibility than candidate Song Young-gil?" She criticized, "I don't understand by what criteria they decided to nominate Noh Young-min and eliminate Song Young-gil."

Park said, "I requested that those responsible for the real estate failure and those who took responsibility for the election defeat and stepped down should judge themselves and not run. I saw this as the path of reflection and reform promised by the Democratic Party," but added, "I do not think my opinion is absolutely correct. There were many who had different opinions from mine."

She said, "It is natural for various opinions to emerge in a democratic party," and criticized again, "However, when opinions differ like this, I learned that the most appropriate decision-making method for a democratic party is not for a small leadership group to decide, but for the collective intelligence of party members and citizens to decide."

She then emphasized, "A fair primary must be held with all preliminary candidates who applied for the nomination in Seoul participating. Anyone who wants to become the mayor of Seoul should confidently and willingly participate in the Democratic Party primary," adding, "Not holding a primary for the Seoul mayoral election in the current situation is no different from declaring defeat. I will correct the Seoul mayor nomination according to the will of the public and party members."