Controversy Surrounds Ha Tae-gyeong's Jongno Candidacy Amid 'Veteran Risky District Run' Debate

Ha Tae-kyung "Carrying the flag in Jongno, driving victory in the Seoul metropolitan area"
"If Ha Tae-kyung goes to Jongno, it's plus minus zero"

Ha Tae-kyung, a three-term member of the People Power Party who had declared he would not run in the Busan district in next year's general election, has expressed his intention to run in Jongno, Seoul. However, his decision to choose Jongno, where a fellow party incumbent is serving, has drawn criticism both inside and outside the party. Critics argue that Ha's candidacy in Jongno does not align with the original intent of running in a challenging district.

At a National Assembly press conference last October, Ha stated his conviction to run in a tough district in Seoul, saying, "I am giving up political vested interests for the party's victory in the general election," and subsequently announced his candidacy in Jongno.

On the 27th of last month, Ha held a press conference at the National Assembly, saying, "I will raise the flag vigorously in Jongno and become the driving force for our party's victory in the metropolitan area," adding, "The only reason a three-term National Assembly member from Busan decided to run in Seoul is my conviction that our People Power Party must be reborn as a metropolitan party."

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, is leaving the press conference room after declaring his candidacy for Jongno at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News

However, opinions are divided on whether Jongno, where People Power Party lawmaker Choi Jae-hyung is an incumbent, can be considered a tough district.

On the 28th of last month, People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Sang-beom criticized on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' saying, "Requesting a multi-term lawmaker to run in a tough district means asking them to use their capabilities and experience to recover the ground we lost," adding, "The idea is to recover ground so that we gain plus one while the other side loses one. But if you go to Jongno like this, it becomes a plus-minus zero," criticizing Ha's decision.

There are also concerns that Ha's declaration to run in Jongno could cause internal party conflicts. Former Justice Party lawmaker Park Won-seok said on the same radio show that day, "(Choi) was brought into the party as a recruitment case during the last presidential election, and there is no current public discussion about him not running or having difficulty getting nominated, but Ha's declaration to run there could potentially cause internal party conflicts."

Choi Jae-hyung, a member of the People Power Party, is speaking at the 3rd General Meeting held at the Yeouido party headquarters on the 3rd. On the right is In Yo-han, the Innovation Committee Chairman. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

He continued, "Also, given the nature of Jongno as the political number one district, the party must be considering various strategic options on who to place there and what kind of structure to create. Suddenly, Ha, despite there being an incumbent, raised his hand, which is somewhat embarrassing even within the party," adding, "While Jongno is considered a tough district, it is more of a swing voter district, so depending on the circumstances, there is a considerable chance of winning. This decision seems rushed without fully considering various factors."

As the People Power Party leadership shows lukewarm responses to the Innovation Committee's proposal for 'senior lawmakers to not run and to run in tough districts,' there are predictions that the momentum of the Innovation Committee will weaken following Ha's declaration to run in Jongno. Earlier, Ha's announcement to run in Seoul had sparked discussions about running in tough districts, but his choice of Jongno has diluted the meaning of running in a tough district.

However, Ha reiterated his position that "Jongno is a tough district." On the 28th of last month, on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Ha said, "Recently, there were rumors about Won Hee-ryong and Han Dong-hoon running, and at that time, no one within the party disagreed that Jongno was a tough district," adding, "So when rumors about Won Hee-ryong and Han Dong-hoon running surfaced, Jongno was considered tough. Does that mean if Ha Tae-kyung runs, it is no longer tough? That is a strange logic."

He also said, "In Jongno, Lee Nak-yeon and Chung Sye-kyun lost three times in a row," adding, "But there is some illusion now because of Choi Jae-hyung. (Choi) was easily elected during the by-election because the Democratic Party candidate did not run."