Nomination of Candidate with History of Sedition Allegedly Linked to Jeong Cheong-rae's Reappointment

The Democratic Party strategically nominated Kim Dong-hyun, who led a petition against Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment, as a provincial councilor candidate for Yeoju-Yangpyeong. New TamSa pointed out that the nomination proceeded without party members being fully aware of the candidate's background.

This nomination sparked controversy among party members, raising questions about the candidate's qualifications.

Fearing the withdrawal of Kim Dong-hyun's nomination due to his history of sedition, local committee chairmen and nominated city and county councilors took collective action. They orchestrated protests to push for the nomination, which was ultimately enforced.

New TamSa criticized the party leadership's intervention, citing former leader Jeong Cheong-rae's accountability.

Party members requested reconsideration of Kim Dong-hyun's nomination from both the provincial and central party, but these requests were ignored. Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong stated that party members were very angry at the time, but their voices were not heard.

Furthermore, group chat rooms were closed to suppress party members' anger, leading to criticism of a lack of communication within the party.

Acting Chairman Choi Sung-won accused Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong of inciting party division ahead of the local elections and requested disciplinary action. Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong stated that Acting Chairman Choi Sung-won acted to end her political career.

As a result, Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong became a defendant in an election law trial, and the party leadership's tendency to label critical voices as incitement drew criticism. This incident deepened internal party conflict.

The Yangpyeong region was seen as having great symbolic importance in this local election, offering a good opportunity for reform-minded individuals to break Kim Seon-gyo's stronghold. This was a crucial time, especially for Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong, known as the 'Yangpyeong Highway Warrior.'

Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong stated that she expected the party to show great interest in the Yangpyeong region and conduct a rational and fair primary and nomination process, but it ultimately led to a disappointing outcome. This process left party members feeling betrayed.

It is customary for provincial party committees, when a disciplinary case for a party member is submitted, to seek the opinion of the relevant local committee chairman. The interviewee explained that this procedure likely had a significant impact on Acting Chairman Choi Sung-won's request for disciplinary action against Assemblywoman Yeo Hyeon-jeong.

Criticism was raised about the structure where the local chairman's opinion plays a significant role, even when the disciplinary petition is minor and lacks validity.

During the party convention, candidate Jeong Cheong-rae emphasized the eradication of sedition as his second national agenda item. However, the revelation that Jeong nominated an individual with a history of sedition as a Democratic Party provincial councilor candidate caused a sense of self-reproach among party members.

The interviewee stated that this nomination issue conflicted with Jeong Cheong-rae's past statements and also mentioned the accountability of the local committee's acting chairman.

Criticism arose that the system of an acting chairman, an interim position for troubled regional committees, has been maintained for an excessively long period. The interviewee stated that it is difficult to understand why an acting chairman continues to serve when a new chairman should be elected.

The sole appointment of the acting chairman without consulting party members' opinions, despite having competitors, was also pointed out as a problem.

Suspicions were raised that the continued retention of local acting chairman Choi Sung-won may have been a nomination measure aimed at benefiting Jeong Cheong-rae's reappointment as party leader. The interviewee suggested the possibility that Jeong Cheong-rae made this decision based on his political interests.

This raises concerns that the internal party nomination process may be influenced by a specific individual's political strategy rather than transparency.

It was revealed that individuals who previously visited the central party headquarters to support a specific person, Yoo Gye-in, are now appointed as executive members of the local committee. The interviewee pointed out that this arrangement may be intended to strengthen organized support for a particular individual.

This raises questions about the fairness and transparency of local committee operations.

It was expected that the local committee chairman selection process would involve multiple candidates and be decided by a party member vote, but it was ultimately determined by a sole appointment without a primary. The interviewee stated that party members naturally assumed it would be decided by a vote, but the outcome was unexpected.

This opaque selection process is criticized for depriving party members of participation opportunities and undermining democratic procedures.