The official announcement by Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, to run in Pyeongtaek-eul, Gyeonggi Province, has complicated calculations within the progressive bloc over candidate unification and electoral alliances. In Busan Buk-gap, where former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon has decided to run, the ruling party's nomination strategy faces a critical test.
Kim Sang-wook, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Ulsan mayor, held a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Wednesday and officially proposed candidate unification within the progressive bloc to Kim Jong-hoon of the Progressive Party and Hwang Myeong-pil of the Rebuilding Korea Party. "I implore the central and city party leaderships to complete unification in a timely manner," Kim said. "If unification fails, we will lose not only the election but also the momentum to transform Ulsan after the election."
Political observers note that Kim's message came just one day after Cho announced his candidacy for Pyeongtaek-eul. There had been widespread speculation that the Democratic Party and Progressive Party would pursue a so-called "give-and-take" unification negotiation, exchanging the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election for the Ulsan mayoral race. However, Cho's sudden declaration has raised questions about whether this arrangement has fractured.
Within the People Power Party, there is growing discussion of a "no nomination" approach for Busan Buk-gap, where Han has decided to run. With continued speculation about recruiting Ha Jung-woo, the Presidential Office's AI secretary, concerns persist that if the PPP proceeds with nominating a separate candidate, a three-way race could split the conservative vote. There are also fears that an apparent conservative split could threaten even their traditional strongholds.
Some argue that Han should be preemptively readmitted to the party to create an internal competitive structure before proceeding with unification. Kwak Gyu-taek, the PPP's chief floor spokesperson, said on a Channel A program, "If we go into a three-way race, it could look like conservatives are splitting again. Even now, it would be better for former leader Han to rejoin the party and unify through internal competition within the PPP."
However, the PPP leadership has drawn a line against the no-nomination approach. Song Eon-seok, the PPP's floor leader, said, "As the main opposition party, we must fulfill our responsibilities as a public party. Deciding nominations based on political intentions requires a cautious approach."
