The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday denied a former presidential chief of staff under the previous Moon Jae-in administration the party’s nomination in his stronghold constituency for the April 10 parliamentary elections.
The decision is expected to exacerbate an internal rift within the party over accusations of what some call a “massacre” of lawmakers not aligned with party leader Lee Jae-myung, considered non-mainstream members.
The party’s nomination committee said it has nominated Jeon Hyun-heui, a former chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, as the party’s candidate for Seoul’s Jung-Seongdong district instead of the former presidential chief, Im Jong-seok.
Im, who had previously served two terms as a lawmaker representing the district, applied for nomination in the district, and the party’s rejection of the request could fan allegations that the party is sidelining those outside the pro-Lee faction.
The committee also announced that it has not yet decided
which constituency to nominate Im for, despite earlier rumored plans for Seoul’s Songpa Ward, a traditional conservative stronghold where his chances of winning are slim.
The decision came after Im Hyug-baeg, the committee’s chief, has argued that party members who had served under the Moon government should take some responsibility for the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
The party is scheduled to convene a general meeting of its lawmakers later in the day to discuss the electoral map, while a string of lawmakers are expected to express deep discontent over what they perceive as a tilted nomination rule designed to exclude them.
They argue that several non-Lee faction lawmakers were categorized among the lower 10 percent or 20 percent in terms of legislative activity, resulting in demerit points when competing with other contenders in party primaries.
Rep. Kim Young-joo, a four-term lawmaker and deputy National Assembly speaker widely perceived to be outside the pro-Lee faction, announced earl
ier that she was placed in the lower 20 percent category and declared her intention to leave the party.
Other DP lawmakers, who were denied nominations or included in the list of underperformers, have also intensified criticism of the party leadership, with Rep. Noh Woong-rae launching a hunger strike and Rep. Lee Su-jin announcing her departure from the party.
On Monday, Rep. Ko Min-jung, who is also considered outside the pro-Lee faction, also resigned as a member of the party’s Supreme Council in protest of the way the party nominates candidates. She previously served as Moon’s spokesperson.
Rep. Sul Hoon, also considered a non-mainstream member, hinted that he too could leave the party.
Both DP Chairman Lee and the party’s nomination committee chief, Im Hyug-baeg, have rejected such accusations, arguing that the party is selecting candidates in a fair and reasonable manner.
However, the party’s nomination results reveal that a majority of 51 people who secured party nominations without undergoing pri
maries are considered close to Lee.
The party is also set to announce whether to nominate Im Jong-seok, a former presidential chief of staff under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, who has applied for candidacy in Seoul’s Jung-Seongdong district.
Im Hyug-baeg, however, has hinted that the party could nominate Im, a former two-term lawmaker, for Seoul’s Songpa Ward, a traditional conservative stronghold where his chances of winning are slim. The outcome could potentially deepen the rift between those aligned with Moon and those in the pro-Lee faction.
Source: Yonhap News Agency