The Ruling Party Still Under 'Chin-Yoon' Influence... The Opposition Completes Reorganization Under 'Chin-Myung' System

The People Power Party reaffirmed that the 'Pro-Yoon (Pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) effect' works in conservative stronghold areas. Incumbent lawmakers who were renominated still showed strong influence, but some relocated incumbents failed to return, making the 'quiet nomination' only a half success.

The 22nd National Assembly election candidate from the People Power Party, Kwon Seong-dong, representing Gangneung district in Gangwon, is celebrating by waving a bouquet on the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among the 90 constituency seats secured by the People Power Party in this general election, 54 incumbent lawmakers succeeded in reelection. The party pursued quiet nominations, focusing on incumbents. Of the 74 incumbents who received nominations, about 73% survived. In the Seoul metropolitan area, considered a tough battleground for conservatives, Kwon Young-se (Yongsan-gu, Seoul), Cho Jung-hoon (Mapo-gu Gap, Seoul), Yoon Sang-hyun (Dong-gu and Michuhol-gu Eul, Incheon), and Ahn Cheol-soo (Bundang-gu Gap, Seongnam) were elected. However, 34 of the reelected incumbents were concentrated in the Yeongnam region.

The Pro-Yoon effect produced only partial results. Pro-Yoon candidates running in conservative strongholds were elected, but they lost in other regions. Candidates who were incumbents such as Kwon Seong-dong (Gangneung City), Kim Ki-hyun (Nam-gu Eul, Ulsan), Park Seong-min (Jung-gu, Ulsan), Lee Cheol-gyu (Donghae City, Taebaek City, Samcheok City, Jeongseon County), and Yoon Han-hong (Masan Hoewon-gu, Changwon City), who ran in the Yeongnam or Gangwon regions, were elected. Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Ki-hyun succeeded in winning their fifth terms this time. Lee Cheol-gyu and Yoon Han-hong also achieved their third terms.

Incumbent lawmakers who left their parties and joined the People Power Party faced setbacks. Candidates Kim Young-joo (Yeongdeungpo-gu Gap, Seoul) and Lee Sang-min (Yuseong-gu Eul, Daejeon) switched party affiliations before the general election, criticizing the Democratic Party as "Lee Jae-myung's private party," and ran in their constituencies. Among them, only Cho Jung-hoon, who joined the People Power Party in September last year, narrowly won in Mapo-gu Gap against Lee Ji-eun, a Democratic Party recruit, by a margin of 0.6 percentage points.

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 12th Joint Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting and the disbandment ceremony of the election committee held at the Democratic Party of Korea headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party of Korea has been completely reorganized under the 'Lee Jae-myung regime.' With the leadership led by Lee Jae-myung (Incheon Gyeyang-gu Eul) all confirmed elected, the pro-Lee faction has firmly established itself as the mainstream within the party. Senior Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae (Mapo-gu Eul, Seoul), and Supreme Council members Ko Min-jung (Gwangjin-gu Eul, Seoul), Park Chan-dae (Yeonsu-gu Gap, Incheon), Seo Young-kyo (Jungnang-gu Gap, Seoul), and Jang Kyung-tae (Dongdaemun-gu Eul, Seoul) all retained their constituencies, and Park Jeong-hyun, a non-parliamentary appointed Supreme Council member (Daedeok-gu, Daejeon), also succeeded in entering the National Assembly. Additionally, key leadership figures such as Secretary-General Cho Jeong-sik (Siheung-si Eul, Gyeonggi), Deputy Secretary-General Kim Byung-gi (Dongjak-gu Gap, Seoul), and Chief Secretary to the Party Leader Cheon Jun-ho (Gangbuk-gu Gap, Seoul) were all included in the list of elected members.

Notably, all five lawyers who were named as the 'Daejang-dong legal team' are entering the 22nd National Assembly. Kim Dong-a (Seodaemun-gu Gap, Seoul) and Lee Geon-tae (Bucheon-si Byeong, Gyeonggi), who defended Jeong Jin-sang, former Chief of Staff to the party leader and considered Lee's 'right-hand man,' in a bribery case, topped the vote count. Similarly, Kim Ki-pyo (Bucheon-si Eul, Gyeonggi), who defended Kim Yong, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute and Lee's closest aide, in an illegal presidential primary funding scandal, ousted the five-term incumbent Seol Hoon, a New Future candidate, to claim the constituency. Park Gyun-taek (Gwangsan-gu Gap, Gwangju), who defended Lee in the Daejang-dong case, and Yang Bu-nam (Seogu Eul, Gwangju), co-chair of the Democratic Party's legal committee who managed overall judicial risks, both former high prosecutors, also secured their seats.

The so-called 'Gyeonggi-do line,' who have worked closely with Lee Jae-myung since his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province, are also donning their gold badges. Mo Kyung-jong (Seo-gu Byeong, Incheon), who served as the governor's youth secretary and deputy chief of staff in the party leader's office, Yoon Jong-gun (Anseong-si, Gyeonggi), former governor's chief political secretary, and Jo Gye-won (Yeosu-si Eul, Jeonnam), former governor's policy chief, are among them. Lee Jae-gang (Uijeongbu-si Eul, Gyeonggi), who served as peace deputy governor under the Lee Jae-myung regime, will also rejoin Lee's side in the 22nd National Assembly.

It is expected that Lee Jae-myung will further strengthen his offensive against the government and ruling party in the 22nd National Assembly based on his solid control over the party. The upcoming party convention scheduled for August is widely anticipated to reaffirm that the Lee Jae-myung regime remains the mainstream.