Seoul: The People Power Party (PPP) continues to face internal discord over nominations for the upcoming local elections. Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok moved to contain the situation Sunday, saying, "I feel sorry as party leader," in response to reports of a preselected candidate for Daegu mayor, but failed to present a clear solution.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jang promised to communicate with the nomination management committee chair to resolve issues swiftly and ensure the party produces nominations that citizens can accept and that present truly competitive candidates. However, the situation remains tense as internal conflicts persist.
A closed-door meeting on Sunday was attended by 12 lawmakers from the Daegu region, including Reps. Joo Ho-young, Yoon Jae-ok, and Choo Kyung-ho, all running for Daegu mayor. Jang mentioned that senior lawmakers' proposal for "citizen nominations" would be conveyed to nomination committee chair Lee Jung-hyun. Despite persuading Lee to stay on with full authority and promising reform in the nomination process just a week ago, Jang appears to have been swayed again by senior party members.
Conflict escalated as the possibility of cutting off incumbent senior lawmakers from nominations was raised, and speculation spread that former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook was being considered as a candidate for Daegu mayor. The party leadership remained largely ineffective, with disputes between the nomination committee chair and senior lawmakers devolving into mudslinging that exposed regional tensions.
Similar patterns have emerged elsewhere, with the party stepping back amid criticism that attempts to replace incumbent senior figures were being carried out unilaterally. In Busan, members within the nomination committee objected to an apparent unilateral decision to exclude Mayor Park Heong-joon from nomination. As internal strife spread through claims such as "someone has already been preselected" or "someone is being excluded," some candidates halted their campaigns or withdrew from the race altogether.
The party had called for reform-driven nominations by cutting off incumbents, asserting that "the party must be shaken at its core to change." However, in regions like Gangwon, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang, it handed single-candidate nominations to incumbent governors and mayors, leading to criticism of the nomination process's lack of standards and consistency.
The PPP's approval ratings are trailing behind those of the ruling party. A recent Gallup poll indicated that support in Daegu-North Gyeongsang, historically a PPP stronghold, has fallen sharply to 28 percent, lower than the Democratic Party's 29 percent. At a time when the party needs to impress voters with fresh and fair nominations, ongoing controversy over fairness makes any rebound in support unlikely. Questions are mounting over whether the opposition party can present itself as a viable counterpoint to the dominant ruling party before the election, raising concerns among voters about the party's future.