'Jung Chung-rae's Picks' Lee Kwang-jae, Kim Yong-nam, and Kim Nam-kuk Nominated; 'Lee's Close Aide' Kim Yong Left Out

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[The Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea announced on the 27th the results of its strategic nominations for candidates in the June by-elections in Gyeonggi Province. Figures favored by party leader Jung Chung-rae were selected, while Kim Yong, a former deputy head of the Institute for Democracy and one of President Lee Jae Myung's closest aides, was left out.
After a meeting of its Strategic Nomination Management Committee, the party put forward former Gangwon State Governor Lee Kwang-jae for Hanam A, former lawmaker Kim Yong-nam for Pyeongtaek B, and Democratic Party spokesperson Kim Nam-kuk for Ansan-gap constituency. It also decided not to nominate Kim, a close aide to the president who had hoped to run in the Gyeonggi by-elections.
Chief Spokesperson Kang Jun-hyun first described Hanam A as "the most competitive candidate, a heavyweight politician who served three terms in the National Assembly and as a provincial governor, with experience winning even in conservative strongholds and a strong grasp of key issues in the Seoul metropolitan area." On Pyeongtaek B, he said, "In Pyeongtaek B, a strategic stronghold with a strong conservative tilt, we nominated Kim Yong-nam, a representative figure of rational and reform-minded conservatism." Regarding Ansan-gap constituency, he stressed that "candidate Kim Nam-kuk recently served as the senior secretary for digital communication at the presidential office, and he previously served as a lawmaker representing Ansan, so he will be immediately deployed to the field and lead us to victory."
What stands out about these strategic nominations is that Lee Kwang-jae, Kim Yong-nam, and Kim Nam-kuk were all figures Jung had spoken highly of. In particular, Kim Nam-kuk had previously bristled when Kim Yong, after expressing his intention to run in Ansan-gap constituency, criticized a second strategic nomination as a "favor." Later, lawmakers aligned with Lee Jae Myung even proposed nominating Kim, escalating the dispute into a factional conflict.
Even so, Kim Yong was not nominated. The decision reflected concerns over legal risks, as he has already been convicted in the first and second trials on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act. Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae explained, "There were also views that he should be given a chance because he was a victim of a fabricated prosecution by the prosecution and has made many contributions, but after comprehensively considering the impact on the local elections and the by-elections as a whole, we judged that it would be appropriate not to nominate him."
Another point of interest is the party's nomination of Kim Yong-nam, who once made a name for himself as a "Cho Kuk sniper," in Pyeongtaek B, where Cho Kuk, the leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, has declared his candidacy. While a member of the People Power Party, Kim had taken on the role of chief attacker by aggressively raising allegations surrounding Cho's private equity fund. As a result, the process of unifying the progressive candidates in Pyeongtaek B is expected to be far from smooth. The People Power Party candidate is Yu Eui-dong, a former lawmaker who served three consecutive terms in Pyeongtaek B.
A decision on the nomination of Ha Jung-woo, the senior presidential secretary for AI future planning, for Busan Buk-gu-gap constituency, which has drawn intense attention from the political world, is expected soon. After Jung said the previous day that he had dinner with Ha and secured his decision to run, Secretary-General Cho said, "Jung and the senior secretary had their final conversation about running, and I understand that the senior secretary has expressed his intention to resign to President Lee and that it will soon be accepted. The procedures for joining the party for talent recruitment and other steps will follow."
If Ha's candidacy is formalized, Busan Buk-gu-gap constituency will become a three-way race involving the People Power Party candidate and former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, who is running as an independent. The People Power Party candidate has not yet been decided, but former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik is widely seen as the likely choice. Key variables include how much support Ha can draw as the successor to lawmaker Jeon Jae-su, who is running for Busan mayor, and whether Park and Han can succeed in unifying the conservative vote.
uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho, Song Ji-won Reporter