The People Power Party's nomination committee announced on the 16th that it has excluded Chungbuk Governor Kim Young-hwan from the June 3 local election nomination and will accept additional applications. Governor Kim became the first incumbent local government head in the ruling party to be cut from nomination.
Lee Jung-hyun, chairman of the People Power Party's nomination committee, stated in a briefing, "After extensive deliberation, the nomination committee decided to exclude the current Chungbuk governor from this nomination and will accept additional applications beyond existing applicants before making a final decision."
Regarding the exclusion, he explained, "This is not a denial or devaluation of Governor Kim's achievements. This decision is not about evaluating one person but about political change." Chairman Lee added, "What the People Power Party must show the people is not politics that settles for stability but politics that transforms and shakes itself up. We determined that especially in regions like Chungbuk that serve as the central axis of Korea, new leaders must boldly emerge—figures who can embody the spirit of a new era, possess vision and capability to lead future industries and regional innovation, and powerfully implement the demands for generational and era change."
The nomination committee plans to immediately accept additional applications for Chungbuk governor. After posting the additional application notice on the 16th, candidate registration will open on the 17th, with interviews to be conducted immediately if additional applicants come forward. Current applicants for the Chungbuk governor nomination include former Daegu High Prosecutors' Office chief Yoon Gap-geun, former National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-keun, and former Chungju Mayor Cho Gil-hyung.
The chairman also hinted at possible additional cuts. "This decision will not end with Chungbuk alone," Lee emphasized. "We will continue nomination reform aimed at nominations that meet the people's expectations rather than vested interests, politics of change rather than inertia, and politics of the future rather than the past."
