The Democratic Party of Korea has shifted into election committee mode and launched an all-out campaign ahead of the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections, now just over 20 days away. The party aims to take the initiative in the general election race by launching its election committee ahead of the People Power Party, which has yet to complete its candidate nominations, and to accelerate efforts to win over public sentiment.
The Democratic Party announced the results of its election committee appointments at the "Republic of Korea National Normalization Election Committee Launch Ceremony" held at the National Assembly main building on Saturday. Party leader Jung Cheong-rae will serve as overall standing chair of the election committee. Floor leader Han Byung-do, former North Chungcheong Province Governor Lee Si-jong, Ahn Sun-ha, a World Health Organization (WHO) adviser and former policy researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, Keum Hee-jung, a Daegu citizen and surgeon, and Lee Bon-a, a naturalized Korean of Myanmar origin and adviser to the National Unification Advisory Council, were named co-standing chairs.
"The insurrection is still not over," Jung said. "We must win this election to uproot the seeds of insurrection and restore the collapsed democracy."
Former Governor Lee is expected to lead the election strategy based on his "8-for-8" record. He was elected Chungju mayor in the 1st through 3rd simultaneous local elections and won reelection as a lawmaker in the 17th and 18th National Assemblies. He was consecutively elected North Chungcheong governor in the 5th through 7th simultaneous local elections, making him the Democratic Party's only "three-term metropolitan government head."
The People Power Party is expected to fully activate its election committee after selecting its candidate for the National Assembly by-election in Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, on May 13. The committee is expected to be formed under party leader Jang Dong-hyuk with the participation of internal and external figures. The committee will establish a "Prosecution Cancellation Response Task Force" to inform centrist and unaffiliated voters of the unfairness of the "Special Prosecutor Bill on Allegations of Fabricated Investigations and Indictments by the Yoon Suk-yeol Government," which is being pushed by the Democratic Party.
The Rebuilding Korea Party held an on-site general meeting at the Godeok STV Knowledge Industry Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the same day and resolved to propose as a party position a revision to the "Special Act on Support for Pyeongtaek City Following the Relocation of US Forces Korea Bases." Party leader Cho Kuk, who is running in the Pyeongtaek-B National Assembly by-election, and 12 of the party's lawmakers attended the meeting.
The revision centers on abolishing the sunset clause of the special act, which has been extended four times since its enforcement in 2005, and specifying state subsidy regulations in law rather than in enforcement decrees. Through this, the party expects to expand transportation infrastructure support, including new road construction and expansion, public transit route expansion, and improvements to transfer systems.
