With the end of the nomination process for the candidates of the People Power Party's metropolitan mayors nearing, all eyes are on the nominations for Seoul and Daegu. The Nomination Management Committee, which has put forward the concept of 'innovative nominations', is now facing the test of whether the actual results will support this bold move.
Committee Chairman Lee Jeong-hyun has expressed a strong determination to push forward with the nominations, stating, "We will push ahead even if it gets noisy." However, strategically, there is speculation that after dealing with relatively less contentious Seoul, the committee may then make decisions regarding sensitive areas like Daegu.
Some have pointed out that the current nomination results do not fully align with the 'innovation' principle. The People Power Party has already confirmed single-candidate nominations for active metropolitan mayors in seven out of 14 metropolitan areas excluding Honam (Incheon, Chungnam, Daejeon, Sejong, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Gangwon). Busan and Gyeongbuk are still undergoing primary elections that include incumbents, and among the 11 incumbent metropolitan mayors, only Chungbuk Governor Kim Young-hwan has been excluded.
The biggest variables remaining are Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Daegu. In particular, Seoul, which has been embroiled in internal disputes over the participation of Mayor Oh Se-hoon in the nominations, is focusing on the selection method. The committee conducted interviews with Mayor Oh, Representative Park Soo-min, and former Gangdong District Chief Kim Chung-hwan. Former Representative Yoon Hee-sook also participated in the open call. It is speculated that after narrowing down the candidates through a cutoff, a maximum of three candidates may engage in a competitive format through activities such as TV debates.
Daegu still faces significant conflicts. While the committee maintains its plan for a middle-tier cutoff, there is continued resistance from middle-tier members like Representative Joo Ho-young, with speculation even arising about independent candidacy. Gyeonggi Province is also in a state of uncertainty regarding the nomination process. While Yang Hyang-ja, the top council member, and former Representative Ham Jin-kyu have submitted their challenges, concerns about their competitiveness in the final race have been raised both inside and outside the party.