ULD Candidates Leave Party As Victory Hopes Fade

The opposition United Liberal Democrats is in a state of emergency as election candidates without political origins rooted in the Chungchong province either desert the party or declare they will not run as its representatives in the upcoming general election.
Most recently, on March 14, Jeong Hae-ju, former head of the ULD's national affairs control bureau, and a close associate of ULD Honorary President Kim Jong-pil, broke with the party and announced that he would run as an independent. Jeong has reportedly tired of ULD election tactics which are criticized for aggravating regionalism, and considers an election victory more likely running as an independent in the Tongyoung-Kohseong areas of south Kyongsang province.
In addition, two former representatives, Lee Min-seop and Bae Myung-guk, who received nominations for the Kangwon province and south Kyongsang province respectively, have given up their candidacies.
Both Jeong and Bae had buoyed ULD hopes of setting up bridgeheads to advance into the south Kyongsang province. Lee gave up his candidacy after a request for assistance from the central party was turned down.

Candidates from non-Chungchong-province have criticized the central party for using unfair election tactics which focus excessively on Chungchong province and Seoul metropolitan areas.

Candidates from Taegu in north Kyongsang province have in particular displayed dissatisfaction since the appearance of the newly created Democratic People's Party rooted in Kyongsang-do. Some Taegu ULD assemblymen, such as Park Chul-on, Lee Jeong-mu, and Park Ku-il, did not even participate in the party's national nominees' meeting held in Taejon on March 13.
It is anticipated that further non-Chungchung-province ULD candidates will withdraw from the party or return their nominations.

by Chun Young-gi