After Rep. Joo Ho-young (deputy speaker of the National Assembly) — who had hinted at running as an independent after being cut from the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral primary — announced on April 23 that he will not run, the only remaining potential independent candidate is former KCC chair Lee Jin-sook. The party has selected Reps. Yoo Young-ha and Choo Kyung-ho as its final candidates for the Daegu mayoral primary, and conservative-leaning Daegu dailies have urged the party to quickly unify behind a single challenger to take on Kim Boo-kyum, including by reconciling with those who signaled independent bids.
At a press conference at the National Assembly on April 23, Rep. Joo said, “I am deeply disappointed by the party’s behavior, but I will not spit in the water I have drunk. I have decided not to run in the June 3 local election; I will not wage a campaign that fights the party members who have supported me for years.” He added, “A word to Representative Jang Dong-hyuk: there is a saying that when a person lacks character but holds high office, or has little wisdom but grand dreams, few escape misfortune. Please know when to advance and when to step aside.”
By contrast, in an April 22 interview with the Hankyoreh, Lee Jin-sook was asked whether she would complete the race as an independent. She replied, “I have plans in my heart, but it is not appropriate to discuss them now. I have never betrayed the citizens. Citizens feel betrayed by the People Power Party. My exclusion from the nomination symbolizes a message that ‘Daegu is on our side, so we can do as we please.’”
Lee argued that Kim Boo-kyum’s high support in polls partly reflects public reaction to the party’s handling of her candidacy. “To put it bluntly, the People Power Party helped bring Kim Boo-kyum into this race. The public’s disappointment and anger over my cutoff have found expression in his support,” she said.
In an April 20 editorial titled “People Power Party’s Daegu mayor race remains shrouded in fog,” the Daegu Shinmun noted that “Reps. Choo Kyung-ho and Yoo Young-ha advanced to the party’s final primary. But both have ruled out unifying with an independent, leaving the race unpredictable.” The paper added, “All eyes are on the decisions of Rep. Joo Ho-young and former KCC chair Lee Jin-sook. Moreover, Choo is from Dalseong County while Yoo is known as a close aide to former President Park Geun-hye, so the ‘pro-Park’ debate could introduce an additional variable.”
The paper warned that because the People Power Party has not finalized a Daegu mayoral candidate and several cut-off lawmakers have declared independent runs, Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party has gained the upper hand in courting Daegu voters.
The Daegu Shinmun continued: “Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum has moved ahead in attracting Daegu public opinion. He has proposed a ‘major industrial transformation for Daegu’ as his flagship pledge, promising to overhaul the region’s economy and industrial structure to draw young people back. He outlined three core goals — economic revival, revitalizing living standards, and balanced development — and set a target to double the region’s gross regional domestic product to 150 trillion KRW (112.5 billion USD) by 2035, while creating 100,000 quality jobs.”
In an April 17 editorial, the Yeongnam Ilbo asked, “Why not move up the People Power Party’s Daegu primary schedule?” and placed responsibility for the delay squarely on party leadership. “The leadership bears much responsibility for the postponed schedule. They remain mired in emergency rhetoric and ‘Yoon Again’ sentiment. Internal conflict — to the point where some say the People Power Party is fighting Han Dong-hoon more than the Democratic Party — has also delayed the primary. That division has splintered conservative votes and dampened the primary mood, harming the mayoral campaign,” the paper wrote, warning that “as the primary lags, the Kim Boo-kyum phenomenon continues to spread, and conservative voters’ impatience will grow.”
It urged party leaders to “finalize a candidate to take on Kim Boo-kyum and get them into the ring quickly,” adding that “even though polls show weakness outside North Gyeongsang Province, the Daegu mayoral race remains winnable. The People Power Party’s support base is still solid. The roughly 40 days remaining are not insignificant — provided the party concludes its primary swiftly and coordinates with candidates who have gone outside the party.”
The Maeil Shinmun ran an editorial earlier this month urging Rep. Joo and former chair Lee to abandon independent bids.
In its April 7 editorial, “Joo Ho-young and Lee Jin-sook: Make the big decision that saves both conservatism and yourselves,” the Maeil Shinmun warned that a split conservative vote could hand an unexpected victory to Kim. The paper wrote, “We can sympathize with the personal grievances of Rep. Joo and former Chair Lee. But Rep. Joo has enjoyed the privilege of winning six terms as a lawmaker in Daegu and served as deputy speaker of the National Assembly. If he insists on protecting his personal rights at the expense of the party when the party falters, critics will call that irresponsible. Former Chair Lee surely did not fight against perceived leftist domination only to see a Democratic Party mayor installed in Daegu. She should remember that responsible politics means accepting accountability for outcomes.”
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