Yang Hyang-ja, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party running for Gyeonggi Province governor, sharply criticized the party's nomination committee, saying it "weakened the standing and competitiveness of existing applicants by endlessly delaying candidate decisions and announcements while claiming to search for more prominent figures."
Yang made the remarks at the PPP Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday. "If the party intended to make a strategic nomination, it should have designated Gyeonggi as a strategic region in advance and either recruited outside talent or fielded an internal candidate," she said.
"The two applicants for the PPP Gyeonggi governor nomination completed their interviews with the nomination committee a month ago and have been waiting for results," Yang noted. "What they announced 30 days after applications opened was an additional candidate recruitment and primary."
She continued with pointed criticism: "The words coming from some party leadership and the nomination committee ahead of this additional recruitment are grotesque and bizarre." She added, "I am a 30-year global business executive and semiconductor engineer, an elected Supreme Council member chosen by party members, and the chair of the Semiconductor and AI Advanced Industry Special Committee appointed by Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk. What kind of absurd talk is this?"
Her remarks were a direct rebuttal to claims that the party has been searching for semiconductor and AI experts or advanced industry business executives as potential new Gyeonggi governor candidates.
Yang also took aim at internal party dynamics. "Now even one of our most senior lawmakers is saying Chairman Jang should personally run against Choo Mi-ae to experience the harshness of public sentiment firsthand," she said. "Has Chairman Jang transferred his residence to Gyeonggi Province? Why should we be subjected to such mockery?"
"It's because of this absurdity that we're hearing Democratic Party Chairman Jung Chung-rae tell us not to even field a candidate," Yang said. "Can't you hear the sighs of Gyeonggi candidates and party members? Please, let's run a normal election."