Kukim, Nomination Disputes Continue... Yu Kyung-jun "Files Objection" vs Nomination Committee "Regrets System Abuse"

Yoo Kyung-jun "Meets the Criteria for Single Nomination... Request for Explanation"
"Placement in the Capital Region is Timely Late... Primary Election is Possible"
Nomination Committee "Lacks Competitiveness in the General Election... Strategic Nomination Requirement"

The People Power Party nominated former Samsung Electronics President Ko Dong-jin as the sole candidate for Gangnam-gu B in Seoul, prompting the incumbent lawmaker of the district, Yoo Kyung-joon, to raise objections and demand the disclosure of investigation results. The party's nomination management committee expressed regret over the denial of the system nomination.

People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Kyung-joon is holding a press conference regarding exclusion from nomination at his National Assembly office on the 6th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th, Representative Yoo posted on his Facebook, "I have raised objections to the Nomination Committee and the Emergency Response Committee. I regret the decision-making by the Nomination Committee, which prided itself on system nomination, based on political indicators that are not strategic," adding, "My competitiveness survey score was confirmed at 49.8%, while the second-place candidate was in the low 20% range, which meets the criteria for sole nomination. If this is not true, I ask the Nomination Committee to disclose the poll results to confirm that there is no problem with the system nomination." The sole nomination criterion mentioned by Representative Yoo refers to "the support rate of the first-place candidate being more than twice that of the second-place candidate."

Furthermore, Representative Yoo stated, "Since the inauguration of the 21st National Assembly, I have done my best in legislative activities," and added, "Currently, as the head of the Election Pledge Development Headquarters' Pledge Planning Team, I have minimized my constituency activities and preliminary candidate activities over the past two months to focus on developing pledges and preparing a big data-based metropolitan election strategy entrusted by the party leadership to ensure victory in the general election." He continued, "Nevertheless, the Nomination Committee decided to apply the public nomination system to Gangnam-gu Gap and Eul districts, while designating the Byeong district as a strategic nomination," and demanded, "I request an explanation regarding the decision-making process of the Nomination Committee."

People Power Party's Jeong Young-hwan, Chair of the Nomination Management Committee, is answering reporters' questions on his way to work at the Yeouido party headquarters on the morning of the 6th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the People Power Party immediately rebutted, stating they would correct the facts. The party said, "According to the competitiveness survey conducted by the Nomination Committee, the first-place candidate scored 49.6%, and the second-place candidate 41.3%, which does not meet the sole nomination criteria," adding, "Rather, since all candidates' competitiveness in the general election falls significantly short of the party support rate (58.6%), it meets the criteria for strategic nomination." They also explained, "In the comprehensive evaluation of applicants, the scores were 92.75 for first place, 81.48 for second, and 72.14 for third, which does not meet the sole nomination criteria," and expressed "strong regret over the denial of the system nomination based on false information."

Representative Yoo stated that he would act according to the results of the objection he filed. Speaking to reporters in the afternoon, he said, "I have no intention of leaving the party, but a satisfactory answer must be provided," and added, "It is too late to be reassigned to the metropolitan area now, and I will reconsider after the objection process." Regarding the lack of coordination about reassignment, he said, "Neither yesterday nor today have I heard anything. If the Nomination Committee had discussed it, they would not have informed me so late," and remarked, "A capable candidate has come to a strong district, so a primary election should be held; I don't understand why this happened."

Representative Yoo also reiterated his criticism that the exclusion of first-term lawmakers lacks systematic approach. He said, "Excluding first-term lawmakers is not a systematic system," and added, "They may want to fill Gangnam with new figures, but I believe Gangnam is not a place where new figures come every four years, become old figures, and then leave." When asked whether the exclusion (cutoff) from the primary was timed to coincide with the vote on the 'Double Special Investigation Law' investigating allegations such as Kim Gun-hee's stock manipulation and the Daejang-dong 5 billion club, he replied, "I hope it is not a coincidence."