■ 37 days until the June 3 local elections… Opposition unity emerges as a key variable
Park Hyung-joon: “We need to unite around the broader framework”
Choo Kyung-ho seeks Joo Ho-young as campaign chair
Park Hyung-joon: “We need to unite around the broader framework”
Choo Kyung-ho seeks Joo Ho-young as campaign chair
As of May 27, with 37 days remaining until the June 3 local elections, the prospect of opposition coordination has become a central factor. In a May 25 interview with Munhwa Ilbo, Busan mayoral candidate Park Hyung-joon did not rule out the possibility of aligning with Han Dong-hoon, the former People Power Party leader running in the Busan Buk-gap parliamentary by-election.
Park said it would be inappropriate to announce an alliance in his personal capacity and that the matter should be discussed and decided by regional campaign committees. When asked whether he would clash with Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok over coordination, Park replied, “What matters most is how to win.” He added, “My basic position is that conservatives should unite,” stressing that “we need to combine our efforts within a broad framework.”
Against a backdrop of criticism of Leader Jang both inside and outside the party, candidate-centered, regional campaign alliances could emerge as the decisive variable. Busan Buk-gap is likely to serve as the litmus test for any broader anti-incumbent coalition.
The People Power Party is working to soothe internal divisions and is preparing a concentrated push focused on the Yeongnam region. Choo Kyung-ho, the party’s candidate for Daegu mayor, began official campaign activities with a wreath-laying at the Nam District Memorial Tower in Daegu and is expected to visit National Assembly Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young soon to ask him to serve as campaign chair.
Lee Jin-sook, the former chair of the Korea Communications Commission who was at the center of the party’s nomination dispute following a cutoff, has announced she will not run for Daegu mayor and said she will support the People Power candidate. Park Seong-hoon, the party’s chief spokesman, said, “Lee’s decision not to run will serve as a catalyst for consolidating conservative voters.”
Meanwhile, Reform New Party Busan mayoral candidate Jeong I-han was struck in the head by a cup containing liquid thrown from a passing vehicle during a campaign event. He collapsed, lost consciousness, and was taken to a hospital.
