Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, said he will run in the National Assembly by-election in Pyeongtaek B in Gyeonggi Province, which will be held along with the June 3 local elections. Announcing his bid, Cho put forward "judgment on the insurrectionist forces" and "People Power Party zero."
On the morning of the 14th at the National Assembly, Cho held a news conference and said, "I will run in the Pyeongtaek B National Assembly by-election on June 3," adding, "To achieve People Power Party zero and corruption zero, I will once again take a step forward from the edge of a cliff."
He continued, "Pyeongtaek B is a place where the People Power Party won consecutively in the 19th to 21st general elections, making it the toughest of tough races for the democratic reform camp," adding, "Here, Hwang Kyo-ahn, a pro-Yoon election fraud conspiracist and an insurrection suspect, has raised his flag."
Cho also said, "Only I, Cho Kuk, can completely rout the far-right insurrectionist political forces and bring a clear victory to the democratic reform camp," adding, "I urged not only Rebuilding Korea Party members but also Democratic Party members and many citizens to take the lead on the path to 'PP Party zero.'"
He went on, "I will amplify Pyeongtaek's voice in national politics. I will ensure that Pyeongtaek's pending issues become national tasks," adding, "By further strengthening solidarity and unity with the ruling Democratic Party, we will surely achieve the victory of the popular sovereignty government and victories for democracy and people's livelihoods."
Cho also presented a blueprint to make Pyeongtaek B the city with "No. 1 quality of life." He said, "The lives of Pyeongtaek citizens are not being sufficiently valued. The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) ranks fourth in Gyeonggi Province with strong growth, but the urban-rural gap is large and citizens' life satisfaction is the lowest in the province," adding, "By properly combining the three pillars of economy, logistics and security, I will take responsibility for Pyeongtaek's great leap forward."
He added, "I have no personal ties to Pyeongtaek. However, I dare say that when it comes to the vision and policies to propel Pyeongtaek's leap, and the ability to execute them, I am ahead of anyone," stressing, "I will change Pyeongtaek with capability beyond connections and with values beyond regional ties."
Previously, Pyeongtaek B became subject to a by-election after Lee Byung-jin, a former lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, lost his seat when the Supreme Court on Jan. 8 finalized a ruling invalidating his election (a 7 million won fine) for violating the Public Official Election Act. In this election, former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Ui-dong, who served as a lawmaker for the 19th to 21st National Assemblies in this district, as well as Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of Freedom and Innovation, and Kim Jae-yeon, standing representative of The Progressive Party, have announced their bids.
After the news conference, Cho addressed why he chose Pyeongtaek B during a Q&A, saying, "In places where National Assembly by-elections are being held, I have consistently said two principles: the party at fault should refrain from nominating a candidate, and if there is a People Power Party candidate, I must be the one to run in order to win," adding, "Combining those standards, Pyeongtaek B was the most suitable."
He said, "In the past, when a by-election was held in Jeonju due to the Democratic Party's fault, then-Leader Lee Jae-myung decided not to nominate a candidate because the party was at fault," adding, "Under then-Leader Lee Nak-yon, the party fielded a candidate in a by-election where it was at fault. Lee Jae-myung's decision at the time was correct, and that is the principle of responsible politics."
As for Leader Jung Chung-rae's pledge to nominate candidates in all by-election districts, he said, "He said what he should say as the Democratic Party leader," adding, "Whether it becomes a five-way race or a six-way race, we will win through competition." On the possibility of unifying candidates or forming an electoral alliance with the Democratic Party, he said, "I did not declare my candidacy with an electoral alliance in mind," adding, "I will not conduct my campaign with an electoral alliance in mind."
On the possibility that Kim Yong, former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute and considered a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, might run, he said, "I understand that even which district to run in has not yet been decided. I will not speak based on hypotheticals," while emphasizing, "Whoever the Democratic Party fields as its candidate, I will have to win."
Asked why he declared his candidacy late with 50 days left before the local elections, Cho answered, "I originally planned to declare about a month ago, but when the Democratic Party proposed a merger, all our party's schedules were thrown off," adding, "For more than a month, party activities were effectively halted, and as a result, the decision to run was also delayed."