The People Power Party nomination conflict is spreading to North Chungcheong after passing through Seoul, Busan and Daegu. Following a power struggle between Oh Se-hoon and the party leadership that went as far as a "re-recruitment notice" over Oh's application for the Seoul mayoral nomination, candidates and People Power Party Nomination Management Committee Chairperson Lee Jung-hyun are clashing over cutoff (nomination exclusion) issues in North Chungcheong, Busan and Daegu.
North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan called a news conference at the National Assembly on the 18th and said, "The party carried out a cutoff only in North Chungcheong, and no one explained why the cutoff was done," criticizing it as "the politics of backroom collusion." Earlier the same day, Kim filed for an injunction with the court to suspend the effect of his nomination exclusion. Chairperson Lee cut Kim through a cutoff, citing "nomination innovation."
Earlier, Cho Gil-hyeong, a People Power Party preliminary candidate for North Chungcheong governor, posted on Facebook on the 17th declaring the withdrawal of his nomination screening application and his resignation as a preliminary candidate. Cho, a former mayor, is known for giving full authority to "Chungju Man" Assistant Deputy Director Kim Seon-tae during his tenure as Chungju mayor and greatly growing the YouTube channel. Gov. Kim and former Mayor Cho may both jump into this election as independents.
With the incumbent Gov. Kim Young-hwan and strong contender former Mayor Cho both pushing back against Chairperson Lee Jung-hyun's decision, the internal party conflict appears to be expanding. Lawmakers Eom Tae-young and Park Deok-heum, whose constituencies are in North Chungcheong, met with Representative Jang Dong-hyeok that day and demanded a North Chungcheong gubernatorial primary. After meeting Jang, Park told reporters, "If we go with a strategic nomination, we will inevitably lose an already difficult election," adding, "We must hold a primary."
In political circles, there is also talk that former lawmaker Kim Su-min has been tapped as the North Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate. Kim, the person in question, also said, "I earnestly ask the nomination committee," and, "Please decide through a primary."
The People Power Party nomination committee has already been engulfed in controversy over the Seoul, Busan and Daegu mayoral elections. In the Seoul mayoral race, when Mayor Oh Se-hoon did not apply for the nomination while demanding the launch of an innovation election committee, the party created a farce by proceeding even to a re-re-recruitment notice.
For the Busan and Daegu mayoral races, attempts to cut off incumbent and senior lawmakers running as candidates have met strong resistance. In the end, Busan was set to hold a primary without a cutoff, while Daegu has yet to see a cutoff announcement. Six-term lawmaker Joo Ho-young, who is a National Assembly vice speaker, is strongly opposing, and lawmakers from the Daegu area are also said to be asking Representative Jang for a primary.
A People Power Party official said, "I hear former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is running for Daegu mayor, and if Joo Ho-young is cut off and runs as an independent, there is a high possibility even Daegu will be taken by the Democratic Party," adding, "In North Chungcheong, Democratic Party candidates are less competitive, so it is one of the few areas where we have a chance to win, but we are self-destructing by fighting among ourselves." The official criticized, "Elections are to be won; talking about nomination innovation and generational change in an election we are going to lose is absurd."