[iNews24 Reporter Lee Chang-jae] As the dispute over the People Power Party’s nomination for Daegu mayor intensifies, local politicians and civic groups have pushed back after former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-suk emerged as a leading contender.
Party insiders say the People Power Party’s nomination committee will meet on the 17th to discuss the Daegu mayoral nomination. Some observers believe the committee is considering cutting established lawmakers and organizing a primary centered on former chair Lee Jin-suk.
![Rep. Chu Kyung-ho and former KCC chair Lee Jin-suk shake hands before the People Power Party’s Daegu branch candidate interviews [Photo=Yonhap News]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/03/CP-2023-0087/image-bf9fa8cb-5df5-428f-9aea-7ef3bf3b1d98.jpeg)
Many in local political circles have expressed serious concerns about that scenario.
Critics question whether Lee has sufficient understanding of Daegu politics and local issues, with some accusing her of being a “nominal TK (Daegu–North Gyeongsang) candidate.”
A local political official said, “Daegu’s industrial structure and local issues are highly complex. There are many doubts about whether someone with limited local administrative and political experience can appropriately step forward as a mayoral candidate.”
Some also worry that Lee has the backing of hardline conservative factions.
Analysts caution that a strongly partisan profile could strain relations with the central government, making it harder to secure national funding or to advance major state-led projects.
A local business leader said, “Local governments need to cooperate with the central government to win national funds and projects. For Daegu’s development, concrete negotiating ability and administrative experience matter more than symbolic politics.”
Reports that some figures from former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo’s campaign have joined Lee’s team have added to factional tensions in local politics.
Local analysts warn that if the controversy spreads, it could affect not only intra-party conflict within the People Power Party but also the broader electoral landscape.
With speculation growing that former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party might run, analysts say a contentious People Power nomination could complicate the Daegu race, potentially causing vote-splitting and making the electoral map more unpredictable than expected.
A local political source said, “Daegu is often called the heart of conservatism, but public sentiment is no longer as simple as it once was. If the nomination process lacks fairness and competitiveness, it could provoke a backlash.”
Attention now centers on which direction the People Power Party’s nomination committee will choose. The committee’s decision on the Daegu mayoral nomination could reshape local politics and reverberate through the June 3 local elections.
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