[Exclusive] Kim Heegon, Lee Joohwan, and 5 Incumbents from Their Districts Move from People Power Party to People’s Future Party

If No District Council Member, Cannot Receive Number 4
"Moved Only on the Day of Candidate Registration"

On the 22nd, five incumbent district lawmakers who left the People Power Party switched their affiliation to the proportional satellite party, Future of the People. This move came amid concerns that if Future of the People does not have any district lawmakers among its members, it may not receive the ballot number 4. According to Asia Economy's coverage, it was confirmed that People Power Party lawmakers Kim Byung-wook, Kim Young-sik, Kim Yong-pan, Kim Hee-gon, and Lee Joo-hwan changed their party affiliation to Future of the People that morning.

A People Power Party official stated, "We were contacted the previous evening, and they switched their affiliation to Future of the People this morning." These lawmakers had previously been eliminated in the district primaries. There is also a possibility that lawmaker Lim Byung-heon and others may switch their affiliation as well.

Handonghun, the General Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and the general election candidates are performing the national ceremony at the Central Election Committee Launching Ceremony and Nominee Conference for the 22nd National Assembly Election held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

The urgent party affiliation change on the candidate registration deadline day is because, under the Public Official Election Act, party ballot numbers are determined based on the number of National Assembly seats held as of the candidate registration deadline. Priority is given to parties that have at least five district National Assembly members or parties that received at least 3% of the total valid votes nationwide in the previous presidential election or proportional representation National Assembly election.

Previously, the People Power Party sent eight proportional representation lawmakers?Kim Geun-tae, Kim Ye-ji, Kim Eun-hee, Noh Yong-ho, Woo Shin-gu, Lee Jong-sung, Jung Kyung-hee, and Ji Sung-ho?to Future of the People, but did not send any district lawmakers. In the current situation, the satellite party of the Democratic Party of Korea, "Democratic Union," which has seven district lawmakers, will take ballot number 3; "New Future," with five district lawmakers, will get number 4; and the "Green Justice Party," which received 3% of the vote in the last election, will get number 5. Future of the People will be pushed to number 6.

This 'lawmaker swapping' has drawn criticism that the People Power Party did not properly check the election law provisions. The People Power Party had aimed for ballot number 2 for the main party and number 4 for the satellite party, but by not transferring district lawmakers' affiliations, they risk not receiving the desired ballot number.