Former People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok has withdrawn his nomination application for the Gongju–Buyeo–Cheongyang parliamentary by-election in South Chungcheong Province and announced he will not run.
On the 7th, Jeong posted on social media that he would withdraw his nomination application. He said that if his candidacy threatened party unity or weakened the party’s ability to check the unchecked dominance of powerful forces, he would step aside and pledged to remain loyal and serve the party from the sidelines.
Within the People Power Party, some officials had warned that Jeong’s bid — he previously served as chief of staff to former President Yoon Suk Yeol — could become a liability in the upcoming local elections.
Park Deok-heum, the People Power Party’s nomination committee chair and Jeong’s in-law, reportedly met with him that morning and asked him to reconsider running.
Governor Kim Tae-hum said he would deeply remember Jeong’s sacrifice and expressed respect and admiration for his decision.
