The People Power Party on the 31st said it would pursue necessary legal action, including an immediate appeal, against a court decision that overturned the plan to cut off (exclude from nomination) Kim Young-hwan, the North Chungcheong governor.
Party Legal Advisory Chairperson Kwak Gyu-taek said in a commentary that it was a biased decision that applied a judicial yardstick without fully respecting the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of political parties and their essential discretion over nominations.
Kwak said the party's nomination management committee made the decision (to cut off Governor Kim) in accordance with due process, adding that Governor Kim was reviewed under the same guidelines and procedures without exception, and there was no room for an arbitrary decision to exclude or discriminate against a particular individual.
Kwak added that the so-called "preselection theory for candidate Kim Su-min" raised by Kim's side is not true, noting that it is never reasonable to deem an entire party nomination process unfair based on allegations with unclear grounds.
Earlier, the Civil Agreement Division 51 of the Seoul Southern District Court granted on the day Governor Kim's request for an injunction to suspend the effect of a People Power Party nomination management committee decision that excluded him from nomination in the June 3 local elections.