Handonghun, Won Heeryong and Kim Kyungyul Lead
Democratic Party Faces Many Talks of 'Internal Assassins'
As the ruling and opposition parties are in the midst of candidate selection for the general election in April this year, the topic of 'assassin candidacy' has emerged. 'Assassin candidacy' refers to strategically fielding a tailor-made opponent against heavyweight or symbolic politicians. Already, movements for 'assassin candidacy' are arising between parties or within factions ahead of the candidate selection process.
On the 16th, Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said at the Incheon City Party New Year's meeting, "There are many candidates in the People Power Party who want to go anywhere that Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, is running and compete fairly," adding, "One of them is here. It is our Won Hee-ryong, who needs no introduction." This means that former Minister Won is running in Incheon Gyeyang-eul, Lee's constituency. Then, at the Seoul City Party New Year's meeting on the 17th, the Emergency Committee Chairman introduced that Kim Kyung-yul of the People Power Party declared his intention to run in Seoul Mapo-eul, the constituency of Jeong Cheong-rae, a senior member of the Democratic Party.
From the People Power Party's perspective, this is sending an 'assassin' to a district considered a tough battleground and a stronghold of the Democratic Party leadership. However, there are critical voices both inside and outside the party. With the Candidate Selection Committee in operation and the selection process underway, the Emergency Committee Chairman endorsing specific candidates is inevitably seen as unfair treatment to other candidates who have been preparing for the election in that area. This is why terms like 'ruining system-based candidate selection' and 'Han Dong-hoon-style strategic candidacy' are being used.
Local party chairpersons whose nominations are now at risk are protesting. Kim Seong-dong, former lawmaker and chairperson of the Mapo-eul party branch, strongly objected at the meeting. In response to the controversy, the Emergency Committee Chairman said, "All nominations must follow the rules of the Candidate Selection Committee," and added, "(Introducing Kim's candidacy) was merely a message of hope to the party and supporters, and does not imply any disadvantage to those individuals (existing branch chairpersons, etc.)."
Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University's Department of Political Science criticized, "The Candidate Selection Committee said it would conduct system-based nominations, but the Emergency Committee Chairman's actions raise doubts about whether this is truly system-based candidate selection," adding, "There is a problem."
Moreover, although the candidate selection process is just beginning, the term 'assassin candidacy' is being mentioned throughout the political sphere. Each side claims to be an 'assassin' to overcome the first hurdle of the general election: passing the candidate selection. Within the Democratic Party, such talk is emerging internally. This is because pro-Lee Jae-myung (pro-Lee) figures with disciplinary records have consecutively passed the Central Party's Candidate Verification Committee screening.
Kim Woo-young, the Standing Representative of the Democratic Party's National Innovation Council, and Yang Moon-seok, former Standing Commissioner of the Korea Communications Commission, are representative examples. They were included in the '12th Verification Screening Pass List' announced on the party's website on the 18th. Both pro-Lee figures have thrown their hats in the ring for Seoul Eunpyeong-eul and Gyeonggi Ansan Sangnok-gap, respectively. Eunpyeong-eul is currently held by Kang Byung-won, a two-term lawmaker from the anti-Lee faction, and Sangnok-gap by Jeon Hae-cheol, a three-term lawmaker also from the anti-Lee faction. There are also talks that a pro-Lee 'assassin' will emerge to challenge Yoon Young-chan, an anti-Lee faction lawmaker, in Gyeonggi Seongnam Jungwon, where lawyer Hyun Geun-taek, embroiled in a sexual harassment controversy, has declared he will not run.
Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said, "How can there be assassin candidacy when the opposing candidates haven't even been decided?" and added, "Mentioning assassin candidacy at this stage is just to raise one's presence."
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