With the June 3 local elections next year approaching, would-be candidates inside the Democratic Party of Korea are quickening their steps. Because the party charter and rules require city and provincial party chairpersons and Supreme Council members to resign by a set deadline, resignations from party posts targeting metropolitan mayor and governor races are coming one after another, and the "game of reading the room" is entering full swing.
According to the Democratic Party on the 1st, among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, five regions — South Jeolla, North Jeolla, South Chungcheong, South Gyeongsang, and Busan — are understood to have chairpersons who have resigned or are mulling resignation.
The first to declare a run was Joo Cheol-hyeon, South Jeolla Provincial Party Chairperson (Yeosu A, South Jeolla). The two-term lawmaker on the 22nd of last month made official his bid for South Jeolla governor and announced his resignation as chairperson.
Next, Moon Jin-seok, deputy floor operations chief and South Chungcheong Provincial Party Chairperson (Cheonan A, South Chungcheong; second term), also said he would step down as chairperson. This is interpreted as a move effectively with a local election run in mind. In a phone call, Moon said, "There was also a request from the party asking whether I might resign." However, he held back on whether he would run for South Chungcheong governor.
A resignation relay continued in South Gyeongsang and Busan as well. Song Soon-ho, South Gyeongsang Provincial Party Chairperson, resigned on the 30th of last month to run for Changwon mayor, and Lee Jae-seong, Busan City Party Chairperson, on the 1st held a press conference at the Busan City Council and made official his bid for Busan mayor. Lee Won-taek, North Jeolla Provincial Party Chairperson (Gunsan–Gimje–Buan B, North Jeolla), a two-term lawmaker, is weighing a run for North Jeolla governor and is in last-minute deliberations.
Rep. Kim Han-kyu (Jeju City B; second term), who had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Jeju governor, said he would not run for Jeju Provincial Party Chairperson. As a result, the ruling party's field for next year's Jeju governor race is expected to be narrowed down to incumbent Gov. Oh Young-hoon; Reps. Wi Seong-gon and Moon Dae-rim; and Hyun Geun-taek, the second vice mayor of Suwon.
Under the Democratic Party's charter and rules, city and provincial party chairpersons must resign 240 days before election day. With next year's local elections set for June 3, the deadline is the 6th, but considering the Chuseok holiday, the effective cutoff is the 2nd. Additional resignations by city and provincial party chairpersons may follow during this period.
Not only city and provincial party chairpersons but also Supreme Council members are highly likely to run. First, Jeon Hyun-hee, senior Supreme Council member (Jung–Seongdong A, Seoul; third term), is being widely mentioned as likely to run for Seoul mayor. Kim Byung-joo, Supreme Council member (Namyangju B, Gyeonggi; second term), is weighing a run for Gyeonggi governor, and Supreme Council members Han Jun-ho (Goyang B, Gyeonggi; second term) and Lee Eon-ju (Yongin D, Gyeonggi; third term) are also being named in the same region's candidate pool.
Supreme Council members must step down from party posts by Dec. 5, six months before election day. Accordingly, a wave of resignations by Supreme Council members is highly likely to materialize from late November to early December. A party official predicted, "If Supreme Council resignations begin in earnest, a leadership vacuum will be inevitable," and said discussions on selecting successors should follow.
The Democratic Party charter stipulates that if an elected Supreme Council member resigns and a vacancy occurs, a successor must be elected within two months through a vote (combining 50 from valid votes of the Central Committee members on roll and 50 from valid votes of dues-paying party members). However, if the remaining term is less than eight months, the Central Committee may immediately decide the successor. The current leadership began its term in Aug. last year, so if they resign in early December, the prevailing view is that the Central Committee can decide the successor without a vote by dues-paying party members.
As resignations by city and provincial party chairpersons become a reality, nomination competition inside the Democratic Party is heating up early. Inside the party, some say, "Those who prepare to run quickly will inevitably have the advantage," while others voice concern that "internal conflict over nominations could be replayed." In particular, if rivals crowd core areas such as Seoul and Gyeonggi, internal coordination is expected to be key.