Translation result
The People Power Party has intensified efforts to counter former Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom, who has emerged as the \”eye of the storm\” in the June 3 local elections after declaring his candidacy for Daegu mayor.
On March 30, Choo Kyung-ho, a People Power pre-candidate for Daegu mayor, released a statement saying the Democratic Party’s process for selecting a Daegu mayoral nominee appears less like a choice made for the city and more like a move to advance Democratic leader Jung Cheong-rae’s eastward strategy.
Choo questioned whether Kim’s bid was the former prime minister’s own decision or part of Jung’s electoral tactics, arguing that without Jung’s persistent overtures, Daegu’s economy would likely not have been a top priority for Kim.
He accused President Lee Jae-myung and Democratic leader Jung Cheong-rae of consolidating power across the executive branch and the National Assembly and now attempting to extend that control to local governments. He urged Daegu voters to block what he described as Jung’s ambition to use Kim to expand nationwide influence.
Earlier that morning, Hong Seok-joon, a former lawmaker and another People Power pre-candidate for Daegu mayor, met reporters at the party’s Daegu office and issued pointed criticism of Kim.
Hong asked what concrete actions Kim had taken for Daegu while he held power, questioning Kim’s record as prime minister and as minister of the Interior and Safety. He accused Kim of shifting political allegiances like a migratory bird and noted that Kim was affiliated with the conservative right through the 1990s.
Political observers expect attacks from People Power pre-candidates to intensify as the Daegu mayoral race heats up.
A Daegu political insider said Kim’s emergence as a heavyweight candidate will place significant pressure on the People Power Party and that voter sentiment in Daegu is showing signs of volatility.
Kim’s abrupt entry into the mayoral contest has turned Daegu into an unpredictable national battleground and has energized the Democratic Party’s Daegu branch.
Meanwhile, the People Power Party is facing internal turmoil over nominations, and reports that figures cut from the party’s slate—such as National Assembly Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young and former Korea Communications Commission chair Lee Jin-suk—may run as independents have added to the party’s disarray.
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