The Democratic Party of Korea has selected former Gangwon Governor Lee Kwang-jae for Hanam-A, former lawmaker Kim Yong-nam for Pyeongtaek-B, and former lawmaker Kim Nam-gook for Ansan-A as strategic nominees for the parliamentary by-elections to be held alongside the June 3 local elections. Kim Yong, former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute, who had strongly expressed his intention to run in the Gyeonggi region by-election, ultimately failed to receive a nomination.
Kang Joon-hyun, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, announced the strategic nomination results to reporters on Thursday after a closed-door Supreme Council meeting. Regarding candidate Lee, Kang said, "He is a candidate who has consistently put the party before himself during difficult times," adding that "he has demonstrated competitiveness through his experience of winning in conservative strongholds and his deep understanding of metropolitan area issues."
For Pyeongtaek-B, the party selected candidate Kim Yong-nam, who hails from the conservative camp, having previously belonged to the Saenuri Party, a predecessor of the People Power Party, and later the Reform Party. "He made significant contributions to expanding our base and securing victory during the last presidential election," Kang said. "We judged that he has high competitiveness to win in difficult terrain, backed by a broad base of support that transcends political camps."
Regarding candidate Kim Nam-gook, who will run in Ansan-A, Kang explained, "Until recently, he served as digital communications secretary at the Presidential Office, where he most deeply understood President Lee Jae-myung's governing philosophy and communicated with the public." He added, "Based on the solid organizational strength and understanding of local issues he built during his previous tenure as a National Assembly member representing Ansan, he will be deployed immediately to lead our party's victory."
On the possibility of a future nomination for former Vice President Kim, Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae drew a line, saying, "The party made a comprehensive judgment on the impact on the overall local and by-elections and concluded that not nominating him was appropriate." Lee Yeon-hee, chairwoman of the Strategic Planning Committee, said, "I met with former Vice President Kim today and explained the circumstances in detail, and I expect him to make a major decision to put the party before himself going forward."
