DistantNews
Cho Kuk: Ha Jeong-woo Would Beat Han Dong-hoon if He Ran in Busan Buk-gap
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Cho Kuk: Ha Jeong-woo Would Beat Han Dong-hoon if He Ran in Busan Buk-gap

From Dong-A Ilbo · (1d ago) Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, stated that if Ha Jeong-woo, a presidential aide, runs in the Busan Buk-gap by-election, he can defeat Han Dong-hoon or anyone else.
  • Cho explained his decision not to run in Busan Buk-gap, citing the need to focus on the Busan mayoral election and avoid disrupting the race against the incumbent.
  • He also announced his candidacy for the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election, arguing that running in a non-Democratic Party stronghold would create a more meaningful competition.

From the perspective of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Cho Kuk's strategic maneuvering in the upcoming by-elections is a masterclass in political calculation. His assertion that presidential aide Ha Jeong-woo could defeat former interim leader Han Dong-hoon in Busan Buk-gap is not just a prediction, but a bold declaration of the party's intent to challenge the established order.

If Ha Suseok runs, I think he can sufficiently defeat Han Dong-hoon or anyone else.

— Cho KukCho Kuk's prediction about the potential outcome of the Busan Buk-gap by-election if presidential aide Ha Jeong-woo were to run.

Cho's decision to forgo a run in Busan Buk-gap, a seat that has become a focal point of political debate, is a calculated move. He frames it as a necessary sacrifice to ensure the Democratic Party can focus on unseating the current mayor, Park Heong-joon. This narrative positions Cho as a selfless leader prioritizing the broader party goals over personal ambition, a crucial element in building public trust and support.

Busan is not a seat that became vacant due to the Democratic Party's fault, is it?

— Cho KukCho Kuk explaining his party's principle of not nominating candidates in constituencies where the vacancy is due to the ruling party's wrongdoing.

Furthermore, Cho's decision to contest the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election is presented as a strategic choice to avoid a direct confrontation with a Democratic Party candidate in a traditional stronghold. By opting for a more competitive race, Cho aims to demonstrate the Rebuilding Korea Party's strength and appeal across different regions, rather than engaging in a potentially divisive internal party contest. This approach underscores the party's ambition to carve out its own distinct political space and influence.

Major figures in the Democratic Party said, 'It would be better not to choose Busan.'

— Cho KukCho Kuk revealing concerns from the Democratic Party about his potential candidacy in Busan affecting the mayoral election.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog