530 Applicants for Gungminui Mirae Nomination... 62.5% Male, Average Age 57 Years

A total of 530 people applied to the People’s Future, the proportional satellite party of the People Power Party. Among them, 331 were men and 199 were women, with men accounting for about 62.5%. Excluding 112 applicants who requested confidentiality, the average age of the 418 applicants is about 57 years old. The average age of confirmed People Power Party district candidates is about 58 years, showing little difference. The so-called 'member swapping' process, where incumbent lawmakers leave the party and move to the proportional satellite party, is also expected to take place soon.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 'People's Future Central Party Founding Convention' held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In particular, many talents recruited by Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, flocked to the proportional satellite party. Han Ji-a, a doctor recruited to the emergency committee, is a representative example. Additionally, 20 people including Jin Jong-oh, former chairman of the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Organizing Committee, Park Chung-kwon, senior researcher at Hyundai Steel, Irena, professor at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, and Kim So-hee, secretary-general of the Climate Change Center, who were recruited as national talents, applied for nomination. People from Yongsan such as Ahn Sang-hoon, former social secretary at the presidential office, Choi Dan-bi, former presidential office administrator, and Cheon Hyo-jung, former deputy spokesperson at the presidential office, are also challenging for proportional representation. Seong Eun-kyung, a former presidential office administrator who applied for People Power Party nomination in Daegu Seo-gu but was rejected, also applied for nomination.

Many former journalists are also included on the list. Applicants include Yoo Yong-won, former military correspondent for Chosun Ilbo, Kim Jang-gyeom, former president of MBC, and Jin Yang-hye, former KBS announcer. Kim, the former president, is challenging for a parliamentary seat just one month after being specially pardoned ahead of the Lunar New Year in February. Jin, the former announcer, was previously embroiled in rumors of a close relationship with First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

Among the confidential applicants are reportedly In Yo-han, former chairman of the People Power Party Innovation Committee, and Kim Haeng, former nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. In Yo-han is being mentioned as a future election committee chairman for People’s Future.

Attention is focused on how much 'member swapping' will occur. For incumbent People Power Party proportional representatives to apply for nomination in People’s Future, they must voluntarily leave the party and change their party affiliation. If a proportional representative lawmaker leaves the party, they lose their seat and must go through the party’s expulsion process. According to the Public Official Election Act, the candidate registration deadline is the 22nd, 20 days before the election, and it is expected that the departure and expulsion procedures for proportional representatives will be completed by then. Among the People Power Party proportional representatives, Kim Ye-ji and Kim Eun-hee are expected to apply for nomination in People’s Future.