Yoon Youngdeok Announces Decision Not to Run in Damyang County By-election

"All-Out Effort for Constitutional Defense, Impeachment of Yoon Sukyeol, and Change of Government"
Democratic Party Primary for Damyang Mayoral By-Election Likely to Be a Five-Way Race

Yoon Youngduk, former member of the National Assembly.

Former National Assembly member Yoon Youngdeok, who had submitted an application to run in the Democratic Party of Korea primary for the Damyang County mayoral by-election in Jeonnam, has withdrawn his candidacy.

On the 22nd, Yoon announced his intention not to run via a mobile phone message, saying, "I applied for the nomination thinking it might help the party and my hometown," and added, "However, I thought there might be another role I should take on during these serious times, so I withdrew my application for nomination on the 21st."

He stated, "I will dedicate all my efforts to judging the forces that attempted to destroy constitutional order and to achieving a change of government," and added, "Wherever I am, I will continue to work for the development of Damyang."

He continued, "After receiving requests from acquaintances to run in the suddenly scheduled Damyang County mayoral by-election, I applied for the nomination after much consideration," and added, "However, I thought that, beyond working for the development of my hometown, it was more necessary to defend democratic constitutional order and focus on the impeachment of Yoon Sukyeol and a change of government."

Yoon, a native of Damyang, served as the 21st National Assembly member for Gwangju (Dongnam-gap), and in the last general election, he served as co-representative of the Democratic Alliance, the Democratic Party's satellite party.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea's Candidate Recommendation Management Committee conducted interviews and other evaluations with all applicants for the Damyang County mayoral by-election the previous day and confirmed all six as candidates. However, with Yoon's withdrawal, the Democratic Party primary for the Damyang County mayoral by-election will now be contested by five candidates: Kim Yongju, former head of the Damyang County Economic Division; Kim Jeongo, former Damyang County council member; Kim Jongjin, vice-chairman of the Democratic Party's Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, and Jangseong regional committee; Lee Jaejong, former Blue House administrator; and Choi Hwasam, chairman of Damyang Saemaeul Geumgo.