PPP Gyeonggi Lawmakers: "Immediate Launch of Regional Campaign Committee... Outpost for Seoul Metropolitan Victory"

"We Will Embrace Public Sentiment Disappointed with the Central Party"

People Power Party lawmakers representing districts in Gyeonggi Province announced that they would launch and operate their own local election campaign committees before the central party’s election campaign committee is formed. This move appears to be aimed at alleviating local concerns arising from the delayed nomination of the Gyeonggi governor candidate and at expanding support among moderate voters by distancing themselves from the central party.

People Power Party Nomination Management Committee. Yonhap News Agency

On April 21, six People Power Party lawmakers from Gyeonggi Province — Kim Seon-kyo, Kim Sung-won, Kim Yong-tae, Kim Eun-hye, Song Seok-jun, and Ahn Cheol-soo — held a press conference at the National Assembly’s press center and announced, "We will immediately launch the Gyeonggi Province’s own campaign committee." They added, "We, who are on the ground, will take the initiative ourselves," explaining, "In a crisis situation, Gyeonggi Province will be the first to act and become the outpost for a victory in the greater Seoul area."

The lawmakers stated, "We will directly create and take responsibility for local pledges, as we are the ones who know the field best," and said, "We will confront head-on the key tasks that can change the lives of Gyeonggi residents, such as first-generation new town redevelopment, completion of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX), support for the semiconductor cluster, and balanced development in northern Gyeonggi Province." They also mentioned, "As soon as candidate nominations in Gyeonggi Province are completed, we will implement an integrated election strategy encompassing both metropolitan and local levels."

Observers interpret the Gyeonggi lawmakers’ preemptive move to form a separate campaign committee before the central party’s committee is established as a strategic response aimed at moderate voters in the greater Seoul area. As the schedule for the Gyeonggi governor candidate nomination has been delayed, a growing sense of crisis is emerging on the ground. Unlike the Democratic Party, which confirmed lawmaker Choo Mi-ae as its candidate early and began campaigning, the People Power Party has only just finalized four preliminary candidates and set a timeline for the nomination contest.

Regarding the formation of their own campaign committee, lawmaker Song Seok-jun said, "We intend to mobilize all the party's organizational strength and capabilities, and regardless of the delayed decision on the Gyeonggi governor candidate, we will fully activate all communication channels, networks, and organizations with the public to preemptively establish the campaign structure." He continued, "At the provincial party level, we will create a broad platform in advance to embrace the diverse public sentiment disappointed with the central party."

The lawmakers emphasized that the launch of the Gyeonggi regional campaign committee would proceed as quickly as possible. They also left open the possibility of a joint campaign committee for the metropolitan area. Lawmaker Kim Seon-kyo stated, "We are currently finalizing nominations for mayors and both metropolitan and local council members," adding, "We are working to comprehensively and rapidly prepare for the launch." He further explained, "We will launch our own campaign committee, and once the (final) candidate is selected, they will join and participate together."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party Nomination Management Committee announced the previous day that it would put four individuals — Yang Hyang-ja and Jo Gwang-han, both members of the People Power Party’s supreme council, as well as former lawmaker Ham Jin-gyu and former MBC announcer Lee Seong-bae — on the ballot for the Gyeonggi governor candidate nomination. The party has announced a "one-shot nomination" method, in which the four preliminary candidates will participate in debates and voting to select the final candidate. The final nominee is scheduled to be announced on May 2.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.