People Power Party "29 Confirmed Ineligible for Nomination... Excluding Former Ministers Shin In-ga and Jeom" (Comprehensive)

Decision at the 4th Gonggwanwi Meeting on the 6th
Reduction of More Than 3 Times in the Same District
Regional Interviews Begin from the 13th

The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee has confirmed 29 out of 849 applicants for the April 10 general election nomination as disqualified candidates. Those over the age of 59, those with experience as city/provincial party chairpersons, district party chairpersons, and others were judged not to be political newcomers and will be excluded from receiving additional points in the primaries.

On the afternoon of the 6th, after the 4th Nomination Committee meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, Nomination Committee Chairperson Jeong Young-hwan stated, "After thoroughly verifying the criminal records and disqualification status of all nomination applicants, 29 applicants were confirmed as disqualified." The committee plans to exclude these 29 individuals from participating in interviews starting on the 13th and from the nomination screening process altogether. For applicants under review who have criminal records not meeting the disqualification criteria, deductions will be applied in the morality evaluation during screening.

The committee decided to apply the 'veteran penalty' of up to a 35% deduction without exception to lawmakers who have served three or more terms in the same district. Although there were objections regarding cases with minor adjustments to constituencies due to administrative district reorganization, candidates running as independents who later rejoined the party, or those who left other parties to join, these objections were rejected.

Specifically, the penalty applies without exception to △constituencies with voter changes due to administrative district reorganization △party-weak regions △multi-term lawmakers including those elected under other party affiliations. The adjustment index for candidates who have lost three or more times in the same district also includes those in party-weak regions with three or more losses. Chairperson Jeong explained, "This reflects the committee's intention to minimize entry barriers for political newcomers and achieve the maximum turnover that the public desires."

Within the party, notable lawmakers who have served three or more terms in the same district include Jeong Woo-taek, Jeong Jin-seok, and Jo Kyung-tae (5 terms); Kwon Seong-dong, Kim Ki-hyun, Kim Hak-yong, Yoon Sang-hyun, Lee Myeong-su, and Hong Moon-pyo (4 terms); and Kim Do-eup, Kim Sang-hoon, Park Dae-chul, Park Deok-heum, Yoon Young-seok, Yoo Ui-dong, Yoon Jae-ok, Lee Jong-bae, Lee Chae-ik, Lee Heon-seung, Jang Je-won, Jo Hae-jin, Ha Tae-kyung, and Han Ki-ho (3 terms).

On the same day, Jang Dong-hyeok, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, was asked whether former Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin, who was pardoned, could receive a nomination. He replied, "If pardoned and reinstated, applications will be conditionally accepted, and if the individual meets the party's disqualification criteria, the same standards will apply. Even if pardoned, if the person is subject to absolute exclusion, they will naturally be disqualified; otherwise, there is no reason to include them among disqualified candidates."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Exclusion of Political Newcomers Over Age 59 and Those with Public Election Experience

Those with major party positions and experience running in public elections (including intra-party primaries) under other party affiliations are determined not to be political newcomers.

△Those over the age of 59 △city/provincial party chairpersons, district party chairpersons (including those with equivalent experience under other party affiliations) △metropolitan deputy heads △those who have run in any public election managed by the National Election Commission (including intra-party primaries) △minister-level political appointees △officials subject to personnel hearings, etc. However, whether candidates with experience running in non-public elections are considered political newcomers will be decided by a two-thirds majority vote of the Nomination Committee members.

In particular, those who have run in any public election managed by the National Election Commission include those with intra-party primary experience in other parties. This applies to former and current lawmakers, metropolitan and local government heads, metropolitan council members, and local council members. However, proportional representation candidates who registered but were not elected do not fall under this category.

The committee also discussed key electoral districts that can lead to victory in the general election. The main concept is 'Future Mosaic.' Specifically, Seoul is designated as 'Korea's No. 1 Address,' Gyeonggi and Incheon as 'Opportunity,' Chungcheong as 'Growth,' Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam as 'Together,' and Honam as 'East-West Harmony,' under which diverse talents who will shape Korea's future will be nominated. The Gangwon region did not have a separate concept set.

The committee plans to conduct regional interviews starting on the 13th, after the Lunar New Year holiday. Following the interviews, they will announce single-candidate recommendations, priority recommendations, and primary election districts, as well as the results of incumbent lawmaker cutoffs.

[Image source=Yonhap News]