Na Kyungwon on Running for Gyeonggi Governor? "I've Served Five Terms in Seoul"

"No Justification or Courtesy in Running for Gyeonggi Province Governor"
"I Will Remain Committed to Upholding the Constitutional Order"

Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party has directly drawn a line regarding the notion of her being drafted as the Gyeonggi Province Governor candidate, expressing her displeasure.

On October 7, Na stated on Facebook that she "respectfully declines" the recent calls within political circles for her to run for Gyeonggi Province Governor. She strongly rebutted the idea, saying, "It is disrespectful to the residents of Gyeonggi Province for someone who has served five terms in Seoul to suddenly run for governor there."

At the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly last month, members of the People Power Party, including Na Kyung-won, were in attendance. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

She remarked, "Politics is about principle," and criticized, "Mentioning me as a potential candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor under the so-called 'Chuna War' narrative is nothing more than making a mockery of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee." She went on to say, "The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is not only at the forefront of defending against the destruction of the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea, such as the dismantling of the prosecution and the undermining of the judiciary, but it has also become the stronghold of the destruction of parliamentary democracy due to Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae's unilateral operation in violation of the National Assembly Act and the Constitution."

Na currently serves on the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, where she acts as the opposition secretary. She explained, "Safeguarding the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea is an absolute imperative for the nation's sustainable prosperity and the future of our children, and I will remain true to that calling and duty. That is why I did not hesitate to accept the role of opposition secretary on the committee."

She added, "Although the procedure for electing the secretary was not carried out due to an unprecedented anonymous voting booth, which violated the National Assembly Act, I will nonetheless fulfill my duties as the de facto opposition secretary."

Her remarks come as the People Power Party has launched a Task Force for the Evaluation and Innovation of Elected Public Officials and is preparing its strategy for next year's local elections. Speculation has arisen that Na could run as the Gyeonggi Province Governor candidate in the local elections scheduled for June next year.

Within and outside political circles, there has been talk that the confrontation between the current Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party and Na could extend into the next local elections, with some predicting that the so-called "Chuna War" could unfold once again.

However, Na did not hide her discomfort with such interpretations. She stated, "During this crucial period of the National Assembly audit and regular session, which are critical battlegrounds for the future of Korea, even having my name mentioned in such gossip is not only personally unpleasant as a politician but also a disservice to the public. I once again respectfully request that such speculation cease," reiterating, "I respectfully decline any talk of running for Gyeonggi Province Governor."

Na entered politics as a proportional representative for the Grand National Party in the 17th National Assembly. She has since been elected five times, representing Jung-gu in Seoul for the 18th National Assembly and Dongjak-eul for the 19th, 20th, and 22nd National Assemblies, establishing herself as a senior five-term lawmaker.