The People Power Party's by-election nomination picture is taking shape. Former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik is emerging as a strong candidate for Busan Buk-A, while former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook and Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo are being mentioned as leading contenders for Daegu Dalseong. As both districts are considered must-win areas within the People Power Party, the nomination process is accelerating.
The People Power Party held a Nomination Management Committee meeting on the 28th to discuss primary methods for 10 districts where by-elections are expected, including Daegu Dalseong, Busan Buk-A, and Gyeonggi Hanam-A. The party has already selected candidates in four districts where by-elections have been confirmed, including Kim Seok-hoon for Ansan-A and Yoo Eui-dong for Pyeongtaek-B.
The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee decided to hold meetings every day this week except Thursday, up from the usual twice-weekly schedule. The move comes as preliminary candidates from each district have been urging the party to speed up the nomination process.
The committee decided to complete the by-election nominations by Dec. 5, moving up the previous schedule by two days from the original Dec. 7 deadline. Procedures have been further compressed, with interviews beginning on the last day of nomination applications.
"For districts where we determine that strategic nominations are possible through internal reference polling, we will finalize candidates even faster," a committee official said.
The districts drawing the most attention are Busan Buk-A and Daegu Dalseong. Compared to other areas with stronger ruling party leanings, these districts have a higher likelihood of an opposition candidate winning.
In Busan Buk-A, attention is also focused on whether former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, who has decided to run in the district, will unify his candidacy with the party's eventual nominee. Former Presidential Secretary for AI and Future Planning Ha Jung-woo, the likely candidate for the district, is leading in multi-way matchups, but the combined support for Han and Park — considered the People Power Party's leading contender — comfortably exceeds Ha's ratings.
In Daegu Dalseong, where Rep. Choo Kyung-ho is expected to resign after being confirmed as the Daegu mayoral candidate, former Chairperson Lee and Supreme Council member Kim are being mentioned as contenders. However, Lee could also be strategically nominated in a competitive metropolitan district. Speaking on a radio program that day, Lee said of a potential metropolitan run, "I won't turn down any role."
