The Democratic Party of Korea will finish overhauling its screening rules for candidate qualifications for next June 3 local elections by the end of this month and begin full-fledged discussions on nomination rules.
For now, it has set a principle of minimizing cutoffs (exclusion from nominations) and aims to boost interest through in-party primaries.
According to Yonhap News on the 12th, a Democratic Party official said, "The party's policy, and Jung Chung-rae's view, is to avoid primary cutoffs as much as possible," adding, "For those who pass the public office candidate screening, the basic principle is to allow a primary in some form, whether a group stage or another format."
Jung pledged during the 8·2 party convention to become a "no-cut party leader" who would prevent unfair exclusion from nominations.
It plans to filter out ineligible figures such as those with criminal records during the pre-verification process, while giving all remaining candidates a chance to enter the primary to strengthen competitiveness in the general election.
The Democratic Party is internally reviewing criteria to identify those ineligible for the primary and measures for detailed screening of some ineligible candidates.
For example, those with records of serious crimes such as murder or robbery; anyone caught even once for drunk driving after the "Yoon Chang-ho Act" took effect on Dec. 18, 2018; those with histories of prostitution offenses, domestic violence, or child abuse; and multiple-home owners for speculation purposes will be deemed ineligible without exception.
It is also reportedly considering including those who have left the party three or more times in the category of ineligible without exception.
However, for some ineligible cases where consideration is possible, they will be allowed to take part in the public office candidate screening, with a certain number of points deducted.
It is also expected to consider reflecting a higher share of rights party member votes than before in candidate primaries, as Jung has advocated for a "party of member sovereignty."
At the 8·2 party convention, the Democratic Party reflected 55% rights party member voting, and it has been increasing the share of rights party member votes in various elections, including reflecting 20% when electing the floor leader, a de facto National Assembly post.
In this regard, Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae said on the 10th, "For (nominations of) metropolitan and basic council members, we will give party members much more decision-making power going forward," adding, "In fact, even now, almost all basic and metropolitan council members have been chosen through rights party member primaries."
However, for metropolitan governments that are battlegrounds in local elections, such as the Seoul metropolitan area, Busan, and the Chungcheong region, it is likely to also review allowing the general public to participate in primary voting, given the importance of swing voters.
In the 2022 local elections, after designating Seoul as a strategic nomination area and then reversing course following twists and turns, the Democratic Party ultimately held the actual nominations using a primary based 100% on general public opinion polls.
A large number of incumbent lawmakers and party officials are expected to run in the local elections.
Under the party constitution and rules, party officials must resign by Dec. 5, six months before election day. If an incumbent lawmaker resigns before Apr. 30 next year, a by-election for that constituency's National Assembly seat will be held simultaneously with the local elections.
Afterward, around mid-December, the Democratic Party will convene an evaluation committee for elected officials to begin evaluations of National Assembly members and metropolitan government heads. Then, in January next year, it will set up the Central Party Preliminary Candidate Qualification Screening Committee, and in late February, 100 days before the election, it will establish the Central Party and city/provincial party Nomination Management Committees and Election Management Committees to conduct the primaries.