Jin Jong-oh, a lawmaker of the People Power Party (PPP), has secured a residence in Busan, it has been confirmed. The move is interpreted as an intention to support the victory of the broader conservative camp, including former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who has signaled his bid for the by-election in Busan's Buk-gap constituency.
According to political sources on Sunday, Jin is preparing to finalize a contract for a house located in Buk District, Busan. The deal is currently at the preliminary contract stage, and he is expected to complete the administrative procedures soon and launch full-scale campaign support activities.
Jin is known as a prominent figure in the pro-Han faction and is expected to throw his weight behind the former leader, who is anticipated to run as an independent. However, as direct support could potentially violate the Public Official Election Act, he is reportedly considering ways to meet Buk District residents through individual schedules.
Jin has previously expressed his support for the former leader publicly. On the day before, he posted a photo of Han visiting Busan's Sajik Baseball Stadium on Facebook, writing, "I am going to Busan. I cannot stand by and watch politics that does not back down from the Lee Jae-myung administration but instead marks internal enemies as targets and leans on Jun Kwang-hoon, Jeon Han-gil and Ko Seong-kuk."
Jang Dong-hyuk, the PPP leader, instructed a review of a party audit regarding Jin's conduct at a supreme council meeting held immediately after his visit to the United States.
In response, Jin explained, "If Han were to run in Gyeonggi Province, where I live on a jeonse (a Korean lease system requiring a large lump-sum deposit instead of monthly rent) contract, would that also be an anti-party act? Merely obtaining a home cannot be a problem."
Meanwhile, Han said on social media the same day, "Buk District is where my politics began and it is my hometown. I will not leave Buk District. I will prove it through Han Dong-hoon politics that keeps its promises."
