Won Hee-ryong Nominated Sole Candidate for Gyeyang E... Big Match with Lee Jae-myung Emerges
Yoo Dong-gyu Joins Liberty Korea Party and Runs: "I Will Catch Lee Jae-myung"
"Yoo Dong-gyu Likely to Merge with Won Hee-ryong Without Completing Run"
The People Power Party has nominated former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong as the sole candidate for Incheon Gyeyang-eul, setting the stage for the so-called 'Myeong-Ryong showdown' against the incumbent representative of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung. The excitement is heating up as Yoo Dong-gyu, the former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation and a key figure in the so-called Daejang-dong development special favor suspicion, has also declared his candidacy. Figures from both parties believe that Yoo will not complete the race in the general election and will later unify with former Minister Won.
Former Saenuri Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Shin Ji-ho said on the 16th on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "This is a fight between the pursuer Won Hee-ryong and the pursued Lee Jae-myung," adding, "Recently, Yoo Dong-gyu, who joined the Liberty Unification Party and declared his candidacy, is playing a supporting role." He stated, "Yoo Dong-gyu probably did not come out with the goal of winning," and "His goal seems to be to expose all the true colors of Representative Lee through the election campaign process, and winning is not a realistic goal."
Former lawmaker Shin said, "Then what choice he makes later is important. After exposing Representative Lee as much as possible, he might say, 'I withdraw here,' and support former Minister Won to unify, which is a very possible scenario." He continued, "In politics, each day during the general election is truly an unpredictable situation, swinging between extremes," and "Looking at past general elections, the difference between the winning and losing parties depends on who can carry out harmony and innovation more competitively."
Recently, Yoo Dong-gyu joined the Liberty Unification Party, led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, and declared his candidacy for Incheon Gyeyang-eul. At a press conference on the 14th announcing his party membership and candidacy, he said, "I came out because I can no longer watch Lee Jae-myung, who is nothing but a shell, using the votes you gave him to make a bulletproof vest," and "I am more capable and conscientious than Lee Jae-myung." Yoo, who was once considered a close aide to Representative Lee during the early stages of the Daejang-dong suspicion, has recently been making statements unfavorable to Lee.
From the left, Won Hee-ryong, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Jang Kyung-tae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, also believes Yoo will not complete the general election race. On the same radio show that day, Jang said, "It is a known fact that Pastor Jeon and former Minister Won are close," and criticized, "This is equivalent to saying that, based on unification or using the democratic system of elections, he will aggressively slander the opposing candidate and even serve a prison sentence himself." He added, "It is problematic to participate in an election that one will not complete and to muddy democracy."
Regarding former Minister Won's candidacy for Gyeyang-eul, Supreme Council member Jang said, "It is inappropriate," and claimed, "It is well known in Yeouido political circles that he is running with the aim of becoming the next emergency committee chairman or the next party leader of the People Power Party after the general election defeat." He added, "There are many rumors that Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party emergency committee chairman, will go to the United States after the general election," and said, "Former Minister Won's candidacy, which seems like an investment akin to issuing a reserved ticket, is truly strange."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
