South Korea's ruling PPP grapples with Daegu mayor race and nomination splits
South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) is facing internal tensions ahead of the June local elections as it tackles the Daegu mayoral race and signals about potential high-profile candidates from opposing camps.
On March 18, PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok went to the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, for talks about the Daegu mayor candidate with Daegu party chief Lee In-seon and lawmakers Kim Sang-hoon and Kang Dae-sik. The meeting underscored how closely the Daegu contest is being watched inside the party leadership.
Local politics in Daegu have intensified amid speculation that former prime minister Kim Boo-kyum may enter the race. A Democratic Party official said Kim has decided to run and could announce around the end of March; DP leaders have visited his home to urge him to take part and plan to keep candidate recruitment open until he declares. A separate source noted Kim’s posture has shifted more recently.
Within the PPP, questions over how candidates will be nominated have grown. Landslide-style “appointment-based” nominations are being discussed by party insiders, with rumors about possible endorsements for a former broadcasting chief, Lee Jin-sook, or a business-background lawmaker, Cho Eun-seok, as well as speculation about whether supporters of former President Park Geun-hye are influencing the process. The chatter reflects unease over who will be favored for Daegu.
Daegu lawmakers told Jang that a single-candidate nomination would not be acceptable. Deputy spokesman Park Seong-hoon said Jang would relay local sentiment to nomination-committee chair Lee Jeong-hyun, and lawmakers planned to propose alternatives for consideration. The sense of urgency grew as the talks continued.
But Lee Jeong-hyun appeared unmoved, insisting he would act according to his principles. He has pushed back on pressure to rush decisions, saying that if necessary he would pursue a broader, open process, and he even posted about generational change on social media, signaling a stance for talent renewal.
Inside the party, concerns are mounting that a contested nomination in Daegu could backfire if internal divisions spur credible independent candidacies or splitting of votes, potentially weakening the PPP’s regional position. Senior party figures warned that a chaotic preselection could imperil Daegu’s political support and have broader impacts at the national level.
Separately, a separate nomination dispute in Chungbuk Province reflected the same tensions. After disqualification of a governor candidate, another former official sought to reenter the race through a court challenge, while a former police chief paused campaigning. The party chair signaled openness to all options, but internal divisions were already spilling over into public debate and social media, including heated exchanges over regional loyalties.
For U.S. readers, the episode highlights how domestic party dynamics in South Korea can influence local governance, regional economic policy, and stability ahead of local elections. Daegu is a major regional economy, and who runs the city can affect local investment, procurement policies, and collaborations with domestic and international tech and manufacturing sectors. At a time of close U.S.-Korea cooperation on security, trade, and supply chains, how Seoul’s two major parties manage candidate selections and regional competition matters beyond Korea’s borders.