"Central Party to Directly Oversee Gangseo-gap Amid Nomination Fundraising Allegations"

Central Party Official Dispatched as Acting Chair
Instead of Local Figure

The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to leave the position of regional chair for Seoul Gangseo-gap vacant, following the expulsion of Assemblywoman Kang Sunwoo, and the central party will directly oversee the area until the June 3 local elections. This move is interpreted as an effort to minimize risks, as the region was previously embroiled in allegations of illegal political fundraising during the 2022 local election nominations.

According to a compilation of reports by The Asia Business Daily on January 20, the Democratic Party’s Special Committee for Organizational Reinforcement recently dispatched a central party official at the department head level to the area, which was recently designated as problematic. Although the term for the regional chair runs until August, the party has decided not to appoint a new chair.

Yonhap News Agency

Initially, the Seoul Metropolitan Party Committee of the Democratic Party proposed recommending two candidates to serve as acting chairpersons, but due to the region’s association with nomination-related corruption allegations, the central party’s intention to directly manage the area was reflected in the decision. A Democratic Party official in the Gangseo area stated, "The central party sought someone who was familiar with the region but had no vested interests in the Gangseo-gap Regional Committee, but I heard they were unable to find a suitable candidate."

Meanwhile, for the Pyeongtaek-eul constituency in Gyeonggi Province, where Assemblyman Lee Byungjin recently lost his seat, the secretary-general of the Gyeonggi Provincial Party will serve as acting chair. Assemblyman Shin Youngdae (Gunsan, Gimje, Buan-gap in North Jeolla Province) has also lost his seat but retains his eligibility to run for office, so he is expected to continue serving as the regional chair.