New Daejeon Democratic Party Chair Park Jeong-hyun... Sejong's Kang Jun-hyun & Gyeonggi's Kim Seung-won

Park Defeats Incumbent for Re-election, Wins as First-term Female
Political Affairs Whip Kang Jun-hyun Secures 65.25% Votes
Judiciary Committee Whip Kim Seung-won Wins Three-way Race with 57.59%

Park Jeong-hyun, a first-term member of the National Assembly representing Daejeon Daedeok-gu, was elected as the new chairman of the Democratic Party's Daejeon City Party Committee. Park previously served as the mayor of Daedeon Daedeok-gu and as a nominated Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party. In the Sejong City Party Committee election, incumbent Kang Jun-hyun (second term, Sejong Si-eul) was elected, while Kim Seung-won (second term, Gyeonggi Suwon-si Gap) was chosen as the chairman of the Gyeonggi Province Party Committee.

Park Jeong-hyun, newly appointed head of the Daejeon City Party Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Democratic Party's Daejeon City Party Committee held the election for the new chairman at 1 p.m. on the 11th at the SpoRex Hall of Paichai University in Daejeon. Park secured 53.36% of the votes, defeating Jang Cheol-min (second term, Daejeon Dong-gu), who received 46.6%. The voting results reflected a ratio of 20% delegates and 80% party members with voting rights. Although Park trailed Jang in the delegate vote, he made a comeback in the party member vote to clinch the victory.

In his victory speech, Park Jeong-hyun, the newly elected chairman of the Daejeon City Party Committee, said, "I am the only woman among the city and provincial party chairpersons," adding, "With Jang's smartness and my experience, we will work together to put an end to Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecutorial dictatorship regime and establish a new government in South Korea, while striving hard for victories in the local and presidential elections."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the Democratic Party's Sejong City Party Committee election, incumbent Kang Jun-hyun defeated Lee Kang-jin, the Sejong Gap regional committee chairman who is an outsider. Kang secured 66.39% of the votes at the regular party member meeting held on the morning of the 11th at the southern complex community center in Goun-dong, Sejong City. Lee, who ran against Kang, received 34.75% of the votes from both party members and delegates, falling short.

Kang, a second-term National Assembly member, previously served as the Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Sejong City and currently serves as the opposition party whip on the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee. As the city party chairman, Kang will be responsible for leading the nationwide simultaneous local elections scheduled two years from now.

In his acceptance speech, Kang Jun-hyun said, "Our task is to win the presidential and local elections to solve the problems faced by the current government and local governments," adding, "We will unite as one team to create a new order and build a new Sejong City by pooling our strength."

On the 9th of last month, at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly, Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (left), is conversing with Kim Yong-min. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The day before, Kim Seung-won, a second-term member of the National Assembly, was confirmed as the chairman of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Province Party Committee. Kim won the election held on the 10th at the Bucheon Gymnasium with 57.59% of the votes, defeating Kang Deuk-gu (Gyeonggi Anyang-si Manan-gu) and Min Byung-duk (Gyeonggi Anyang-si Dongan-gu Gap) in a three-way race. Despite fierce competition, Kim secured a majority of the votes.

Kim said, "As a former judge, I always felt a sense of debt because while my friends and seniors fought and sacrificed for democratization, I only studied for my family. I have resolved to dedicate everything for those who fought for democracy like Representative Lee Jae-myung and the late President Roh Moo-hyun," adding, "I will not lose my original intention and will take the lead in prosecutorial reform and reform of the chaebol-controlled media."

He continued, "Just as our Judiciary Committee, united under Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae, has delivered a sense of efficacy, our Gyeonggi Province Party Committee will also unite tightly with senior and fellow lawmakers, city and provincial councilors, and party members to bring a sense of efficacy and pride as the Democratic Party."