With the June 3 local elections approaching, the People Power Party’s Incheon chapter has finalized nominations for 31 metropolitan and district council candidates and released primary candidate lists in eight districts, shaping the overall ballot.
On April 25, the chapter’s Candidate Selection Committee said its 10th meeting approved recommendations for 31 candidates — two for metropolitan (city) council seats and 29 for district (local) council seats — and announced the candidate lists for primaries in eight districts.
For the metropolitan (city) council seats, figures from the newly established Yeongjong-gu were given priority.
In Yeongjong-gu District 1, the committee selected Choi Seong-pil, former chair of Incheon’s Participatory Budget Committee. In District 2, it chose Im Ok-ju, former principal of Langfang No. 8 Foreign Language School in China.
The committee also confirmed district council nominees in key areas such as Michuhol-gu and Yeonsu-gu, outlining the race map.
In Michuhol-gu’s District C, the 'A' slot went to Lee Gwan-ho, a Michuhol-gu councilor, and the 'B' slot to Kim Su-kyung, spokesperson for the Incheon chapter.
In Michuhol-gu’s District D, the 'A' slot went to Yang Jin-seok, chief secretary to a National Assembly member, and the 'B' slot to Jang Gyu-cheol, vice chair of the Michuhol-gu council.
In Yeonsu-gu’s District A, the committee approved Lee Jeong-eun, chair of the Yeonsu-gu Gap Next Generation Women’s Committee, for the 'A' slot.
In Yeonsu-gu’s District D, the 'A' slot went to Noh Gwang-ju of the Democratic Peace Yeonsu-gu Council, and the 'B' slot to Ko Eun-jin, vice chair of the Yeonsu-gu Youth Network.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District A, the 'A' slot was awarded to Jang Soo-yeon, former director of Bupyeong District Office’s Economic and Environmental Bureau.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District B, the 'A' slot went to Yeo Myung-ja, a Bupyeong-gu councilor, and the 'B' slot to Lee Ik-seong, also a Bupyeong-gu councilor.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District C, the 'A' slot went to Kim Dong-gyu, spokesperson for the People Power Party’s Incheon chapter.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District D, the 'A' slot went to Kang Yeon-sook, chair of the Bupyeong-gu council’s Administrative and Welfare Committee, and the 'B' slot to Park Hyung-seok, vice chair of the Incheon chapter’s Special Committee on Social Welfare.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District E, the 'A' slot went to Yoon Gu-young, CEO of Kukmin Real Estate Brokerage, and the 'B' slot to Choi Jong-seong, chair of the Incheon chapter’s Special Committee on Social Welfare.
In Seo-gu’s District A, the 'A' slot went to Lee Se-ri, chair of the Incheon chapter’s Next Generation Women’s Committee, and the 'B' slot to Kim Dong-ik, a former Gyeongchang civil servant.
In Seo-gu’s District D, the 'A' slot went to Kim Hak-yeop, a Seo-gu councilor, and the 'B' slot to Ha Gi-jeong, chair of the Western District Environmental Volunteer Group.
In Ganghwa-gun’s District B, the 'A' slot went to Choi Jung-chan, former vice chair of the Ganghwa-gun council, and the 'B' slot to Hong Jeong-woo, former village head of Insan 1-ri in Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun.
In Ongjin-gun’s District A, the 'A' slot went to Lee Jong-seon, an Ongjin-gun councilor, and the 'B' slot to Jin Gwang-won, CEO of Jin Gwang-won Administrative Services.
In Ongjin-gun’s District B, the 'A' slot went to Park Joo-kwang, secretary of the Democratic Peace Ongjin-gun Council, and the 'B' slot to Baek Dong-hyun, an Ongjin-gun councilor.
In Ongjin-gun’s District C, the 'A' slot went to Hong Nam-gon, a member of the 7th Ongjin-gun council.
The committee released primary candidate lists for a total of eight districts.
In Yeonsu-gu’s District B, four candidates will compete: Kim Il-jung, member of Incheon’s Citizen Happiness Policy Advisory Group; Byun Jae-min, a marketing MD; Jeong Hyun-bae, former director of Yeonsu-gu Cheonghak Senior Welfare Center; and Han Seong-min, former chair of Yeonsu-gu council’s Steering Committee.
In Yeonsu-gu’s District C, candidates include Gong Byung-gun, former Incheon councilor; Kim Young-im, former head of the Korea Senior Citizens Association’s Yeonsu branch; Lee Won-woo, former chair of the Okryeon 1-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee; and Tak Heon-su, former secretary to the Incheon council speaker.
In Bupyeong-gu, the contest will pit incumbents against political newcomers.
In Bupyeong-gu’s District M, five candidates filed: Kim Sook-hee, a Bupyeong-gu councilor; Kim Jin-woong, former secretary to members of the 19th and 21st National Assembly; Son Cheol-woon, former Incheon councilor; Yeom Cheol-ho, a Bupyeong District E operations committee member; and Choi Chang-young, former policy support officer for the Bupyeong-gu council.
In Gyeyang-gu, primaries will be held in every district, setting up intense competition.
In Gyeyang-gu’s District A, candidates include Kim Yeon-ja, former adjunct professor at Jaeneung University; Lee Eun-joo, former secretary-general of the Gyeyang-gap party committee; and Choi Moon-seop, former youth chair for the People Power Party in Gyeyang-gap.
In Gyeyang-gu’s District B, the field includes Kim Seong-jun, former secretary to a 19th National Assembly member; Park Jae-seong, chair of the Gyeyang-gap youth committee; Yeo Jae-man, a Gyeyang-gu councilor; and Lee Yong-seon, former secretary-general of the Gyeyang-gap party committee.
In Gyeyang-gu’s District C, the committee nominated Kim Kyung-sook, chair of the Incheon chapter’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, and Lee Sang-ho, vice chair of the Gyeyang-gu council, narrowing that district to a two-person race.
In Gyeyang-gu’s District D, five candidates will compete: Kim Nak-hyung, president of the Korea OB Football Association’s Incheon branch; Kim Sook-ui, former 8th Gyeyang-gu councilor; Nam Sang-geun, special professor at Korea Open Cyber University; Jo Kyu-taek, former secretary-general of the People Power Party’s Gyeyang-gu E branch; and Pyo Myung-ja, candidate for chair of the women’s committee in Gyeyang-gu E.
Finally, in Ganghwa-gun’s District A, Koo Bon-ho, CEO of the Human Senior Daycare Center, will face Han Seung-hee, chair of the Ganghwa-gun council.
The Candidate Selection Committee will accept filings for primary districts on the 27th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It will then hold primaries over two days, the 29th and 30th, to determine the final nominees.
/Minyoung Jeon, Reporter jmy@incheonilbo.com
