On April 3, Lee Jin-suk signaled she may run as an independent after the People Power Party upheld its decision to exclude her from the Daegu mayoral primary, saying she will pursue a citizens' primary to win the choice of Daegu voters.
In a statement on Facebook, Lee said she will accept Daegu citizens' decision through a citizens' primary and dedicate herself to revitalizing Daegu and contributing to the recovery of the Republic of Korea.
She criticized the party's nomination committee for finalizing a six-candidate primary while excluding her and Rep. Joo Ho-young, calling the move a self-defeating decision that could cost the party the June 3 local elections. Lee also sharply attacked party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, saying, \"A party leader who ignores both the party's internal sentiment and public opinion is not fit to lead.\"
Lee said it was inconsistent for Jang to publicly criticize judicial involvement in politics at a party leadership meeting one day and then to follow the court's dismissal of the injunction the next. She accused Jang and nomination committee chair Park Deok-heum of using the court's decision as a pretext to press ahead with the primary while excluding her and Rep. Joo, quipping that it effectively makes the party leader \"Judge Kwon Seong-su.\" She called it contradictory to denounce judicial intervention and then rely on the judiciary's ruling to justify moving the primary forward.
On the same day, Civil Division 51 of the Seoul Southern District Court, presided over by Judge Kwon Seong-su, dismissed Rep. Joo's request for an injunction to suspend his exclusion from the party's nomination.
The court ruled that, based on the submitted materials alone, it was not possible to conclude there were serious and clear procedural or substantive defects that would invalidate the qualification review process or its decision.
After the court approved an injunction in Governor Kim Young-hwan's case, some in political circles expected Rep. Joo's case to yield a similar outcome. The court, however, said the facts differ between the two cases.
In Governor Kim's case, the court found a procedural flaw because the party set the additional nomination submission period at one day instead of the three days required by party rules. In Rep. Joo's case, the court judged that, considering the party situation at the time of nomination, local characteristics, and the party's autonomy, it was difficult to view the process as violating party rules or democratic procedures.
Immediately after the court decision, the nomination committee held an emergency meeting at party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, and unanimously reapproved a six-candidate primary excluding Lee and Rep. Joo.
Park Deok-heum, chair of the nomination committee, said the committee unanimously decided to proceed with the primary in the same format confirmed on March 22. He explained the process will include debates and preliminary votes among six candidates—Yoo Young-ha, Yoon Jae-ok, Lee Jae-man, Choi Eun-seok, Chu Kyung-ho, and Hong Seok-jun—to narrow the field to two before selecting the final nominee. The committee also rejected Lee's request for a rehearing that day; Park said the rationale for dismissal was the same as in Rep. Joo's case.
Because Lee enjoys strong approval ratings in Daegu, her decision to run as an independent would pose a significant challenge for the party. Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum leads head-to-head polls against the People Power candidates; adding a high-profile independent would likely split conservative votes and could jeopardize the party's standing in Suseong, Daegu. Whether both Lee and Rep. Joo run as independents or only one does, a multi-candidate race could produce the worst-case scenario for the People Power Party.
Within the party, some are reportedly discussing nominating Lee for a parliamentary by-election to defuse the situation. After her exclusion, Lee told reporters on March 24 that if she were asked to run in a by-election, she would consider it, leaving open the possibility that the party might pursue that option.
Park said he does not expect Lee or Rep. Joo to run as independents. He urged both to continue their roles at the center of national conservatism and asked them to join efforts to secure victory in the local elections and advance Daegu's development.
Your daily personalized horoscope report! How will your day go?
