(The CEN News / Reporter Lee Seung-ryeol)
A dispute over unifying the moderate and conservative factions in the Busan superintendent race has escalated into a direct confrontation between Professor Jeong Seung-yoon and preliminary candidate Choi Yoon-hong.
At 12:10 p.m. on the 30th, Jeong issued a statement calling on Choi to "stop posing as a unifier and stop pretending to be conservative." The announcement effectively declared the unity talks dead.
In his statement, Jeong asked, "Who was responsible for breaking last year's unity agreement?" and urged Choi to stop using the unity process as an election campaign tactic.
He also accused Choi of dodging talks despite favorable conditions, noting that "there have been many cases in which unity talks and polls proceeded without preliminary candidate registration." He asked why Choi would avoid such a process when conditions were favorable.
Jeong warned that if anyone distorts responsibility for the failed unity and shifts the blame onto him, he will treat it as the spread of false information and pursue legal action.
Choi's camp, meanwhile, issued a separate statement expressing strong regret over what it described as Jeong's late-night unilateral notification of a unification proposal.
Choi's campaign said that on the night of the 29th, around 11:30 p.m., they received a unilateral notice from a member of Jeong's team about the proposed unification schedule. They said they proposed—reasonably—that both sides should register as preliminary candidates before beginning talks, but received no response.
They criticized Jeong for holding a press conference without prior consultation, saying the move showed a lack of basic courtesy toward the opposing candidate.
Choi's camp added that the door to unification remains open but stressed that "the only way to demonstrate sincerity is to take the concrete step of registering as a preliminary candidate."
They also proposed forming a four-person working committee—two members from each side—to discuss the unification process.
Within the conservative camp in the Busan superintendent race, candidate unification is regarded as one of the election's key variables.
(The CEN News) Reporter Lee Seung-ryeol ottnews@kakao.com
