Election of the Second Half Chairman of Cheonan City Council Shrouded in Uncertainty

People Power Party Councilor Kim Haeng-geum Endorsed but Internal Opposition Persists
Democratic Party Observes People Power Party Defections...Possibility Even with 2-3 Votes Defected

As Cheonan City Council faces difficulties in forming the 9th term's second half leadership, there is also a possibility that the Democratic Party may secure the position of council chairman, leading to an unpredictable and foggy political situation. View of the Cheonan City Council plenary chamber.

The Cheonan City Council in Chungnam is facing difficulties in forming the 9th term's second half leadership, resulting in a political deadlock with no clear outlook on the election of the council chairperson.

Currently, the Cheonan City Council consists of 27 members: 14 from the People Power Party, 12 from the Democratic Party, and 1 independent. Since the independent vice-chairperson, Lee Jong-dam, is originally from the Democratic Party, the situation is effectively a one-seat difference.

Until now, it was widely expected that the majority party, People Power Party, would secure the chairperson position for the second half without major surprises. However, as internal conflicts arose within the People Power Party over the chairperson seat, the Democratic Party has reportedly begun behind-the-scenes efforts to nominate their own candidate.

People Power Party council members have held several meetings to select the chairperson. In particular, after last month's overseas training, council members Kim Haeng-geum, Kim Cheol-hwan, and Yoo Young-jin publicly expressed their intentions to run for the chairperson position, raising hopes for the first transparent intra-party primary.

However, through consecutive general meetings on the 29th and 30th, it was decided internally to endorse council member Kim Haeng-geum instead of holding a primary. Yet, the aftermath of the decision-making process to endorse Kim has sparked significant backlash within the party.

During the general meeting on the 30th, after intense debates, Kim Haeng-geum and Kim Cheol-hwan, who had declared their candidacies, were asked to leave the meeting room. Then, a public show-of-hands vote was held to decide between endorsing Kim Haeng-geum or holding a primary.

Some council members raised concerns about the fairness of the public show-of-hands vote, but their objections were ultimately dismissed, and Kim Haeng-geum's endorsement as chairperson was confirmed.

In response, some council members criticized, “Senior local party figures openly conveyed to members that they feared losing votes to Kim Haeng-geum after his potential party withdrawal, urging to 'go with the flow,' so a public show-of-hands cannot be considered a fair expression of opinion.”

They added, “Back during the 8th council's second half vice-chairperson election, Kim Haeng-geum even mentioned leaving the party. Now, fearing a single lost vote, they are pushing this through, but such unfair decisions could ultimately cause even more defections,” expressing their concerns.

As the situation unfolds, the atmosphere within the Democratic Party is gradually shifting. Analysts suggest that if just 2 to 3 defections occur within the People Power Party, the Democratic Party might have a chance to win if they nominate a chairperson candidate in the plenary session. This is supported by recent dramatic reversals where chairperson teams different from party agreements were elected in places like Daejeon, Gongju, and Nonsan.

However, some Democratic Party council members do not view the possibility of defections from the People Power Party as high.

A Democratic Party council member stated, “There are rumors that some Democratic council members are collecting signatures to challenge for the chairperson position, but nothing has been confirmed. Especially since both parties adopt party lines regarding leadership formation such as chairperson and vice-chairperson, breaking party lines and causing defections would be a risky move that could jeopardize one's political career, making it a realistically difficult choice.”