Kukim Kim Hyun-ah's Single Nomination Canceled... Lee Sang-min Says "If There Is a Flaw..."

The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee has decided to reconsider the single-candidate nomination for former lawmaker Kim Hyun-ah in Goyang-jeong, Gyeonggi Province, which had been put on hold.

Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Hyun-ah. Photo by Yonhap News

On the morning of the 23rd, Jeong Young-hwan, chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee, announced the results of the 12th Nomination Management Committee meeting at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, which included this decision. The single-candidate nomination for former lawmaker Kim Hyun-ah was canceled. This was in response to the Emergency Committee's request for reconsideration after putting the single-candidate nomination on hold. Kim, who is under investigation by the prosecution for alleged violations of the Political Funds Act, had previously been suspended from party membership for three months by the party's Central Ethics Committee.

Earlier, Lee Sang-min, a lawmaker of the People Power Party, appeared on YTN Radio's "News King Park Ji-hoon" and commented on the hold on Kim's nomination, saying, "If there is even the slightest unsavory or suspicious aspect, it means that the nomination is being put on hold from the perspective of the people's standards, so I think it is a firm measure." He added, "Even if it is a decision by the Nomination Management Committee, if there is any possibility of a blemish from the people's perspective, it should be reconsidered," and said, "I evaluate that Han Dong-hoon's leadership is being properly demonstrated."

He continued, "Within the party, since this is the first time a system nomination is being attempted to avoid controversies such as 'Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon made a backroom nomination' or 'he resigned,' it seems that the original policy of holding primaries in principle is being upheld as much as possible."

So far, the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee has finalized candidate lists in more than two-thirds of the 242 regions where nominations were received. No incumbent district lawmaker has been cut off yet. However, announcements regarding some sensitive regions such as Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) and Busan-Gyeongnam (PK) have not been made, leaving a potential flashpoint for nomination conflicts. It is interpreted that the committee is trying to minimize internal party noise by delaying the elimination of incumbent lawmakers, which is the core of the nomination conflict, as much as possible.

Among the incumbent lawmakers, Park Sung-joong (Seoul Seocho-eul), Yoo Kyung-joon (Seoul Gangnam-byeong), Ryu Seong-geol (Daegu Dong-gu-gap), Yang Geum-hee (Daegu Buk-gu-gap), Hong Seok-joon (Daegu Dalseo-gap), Kim Young-sik (Gyeongbuk Gumi-eul), Park Hyung-soo (Gyeongbuk Yeongju-Yeongyang-Bonghwa-Uljin), Yoon Doo-hyun (Gyeongbuk Gyeongsan), and Kim Hyung-dong (Gyeongbuk Andong-Yecheon) have yet to finalize their nomination methods.