Cho Seung-rae, secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Korea, said May 4 that there would be no party-led candidate unification at the national level for the June 3 local elections, while leaving open the possibility of local coordination in Ulsan based on public sentiment.
At a news briefing held 30 days before the vote, Cho said there had been “various things being said” about unification. He added that there would be no central party-to-party negotiations, saying such talks could distort voters’ will.
Cho said, however, that “in special regions like Ulsan,” decisions would be made independently. He said there had been substantial calls in Ulsan for unification covering the mayoral race, five district chief races and seats on the metropolitan council. In the Ulsan mayoral contest, Democratic Party candidate Kim Sang-wook, Progressive Party candidate Kim Jong-hoon and Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Hwang Myeong-pil have agreed on the need for unification.
On the broader outlook for the election, Cho said it would be inappropriate to label the vote a failure simply because opinion polls show a gap and the party does not win by a wide margin. He said the goal is to win “even one more seat,” including in basic council races, rather than focusing on numerical targets.
Cho also addressed recent controversy over remarks by party leader Jeong Cheong-rae, including his use of the term “oppa.” Cho said the party must not let down its guard and that while it would be best to avoid any mistakes, it is more important to acknowledge errors, apologize and show sincerity.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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