Dae-gu Mayoral Race: Will the Ruling Party’s ‘Innovative Nomination’ Strategy Cut Off Long-Time Politicians?

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[iNews24 Reporter Lee Chang-jae] Conflict over the People Power Party’s nomination for Daegu mayor has intensified, shaking local public sentiment.

The party’s Nomination Committee is due to meet on the 17th to focus on the Daegu mayoral contest and may announce its decision, a development that has heightened political tension.

Local political sources said on the 16th that the Nomination Committee is weighing a broad shake-up under the banner of \”innovative nominations,\” considering large-scale turnover that would include incumbents and senior lawmakers. The committee is reportedly even considering cutting veteran lawmakers with three or more terms from the Daegu mayoral primary.

Senior figures floated as potential mayoral candidates include Joo Ho-young (six terms, Daegu Suseong-gap), Yoon Jae-ok (four terms, Daegu Dalseo-eul), and Chu Kyung-ho (three terms, Daegu Dalseong). Political observers are increasingly raising the possibility that these lawmakers could be excluded from the party slate.

Lee Jung-hyun, the committee chair and a former party leader, was reportedly granted full authority over nominations by party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and has signaled a strong commitment to nomination reform, lending weight to the prospect of cutting senior incumbents.

Some observers say Lee is considering excluding senior lawmakers and running a primary centered on former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook and first-term lawmakers.

News of this potential move has provoked a strong backlash among Daegu politicians and party members.

Some local party members and residents have reacted angrily, saying, \”The leadership, unaware of Daegu sentiment, is ruining the party,\” and \”Local lawmakers can’t even speak up—don’t they have any pride?\”

Some in political circles warn that if National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joo Ho-young is cut from the slate, he could defect from the party, a development that would amplify the fallout.

Joo sharply criticized the Nomination Committee’s actions in a recent television interview.

\”The core of nominations should be winning elections, not purges dressed up as innovation,\” Joo said. \”If you create internal division and put forward uncompetitive candidates like this, it’s effectively handing the Daegu mayoralty to the Democratic Party.\”

Inside the party, the concentration of authority in the Nomination Committee chair has fueled fears of unchecked, sweeping purges.

Chief spokesperson Park Seong-hoon told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting, \”Nominations are not decided by a single chair’s judgment. They are finalized through committee discussion and a final vote. The scenario some fear will not play out as imagined.\”

Meanwhile, the committee stirred controversy by cutting incumbent North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan from the gubernatorial nomination. This is the first time the committee has excluded a sitting provincial governor since its launch, and Governor Kim immediately protested, arguing the decision lacked procedural legitimacy.

Political analysts say the North Chungcheong cut could presage similarly forceful shake-ups in Yeongnam-region gubernatorial nominations, including in Busan and Daegu.

Lee Jung-hyun, the committee chair, said, \”Those who resist and push back are the vested interests,\” and added, \”We’ve already started, and we’ll let the results speak,\” reaffirming his commitment to an innovative nomination approach.

With a committee decision said to be imminent, Daegu political circles warn that the nomination outcome could dramatically reshape the mayoral race and even weaken the city’s conservative stronghold.