Choi Jin-bong, the head of Jung-gu District in Busan, stated that “the reflection rate of public sentiment should be increased.” The People Power Party’s Local Election Planning Committee held a joint meeting on the 25th with the party’s incumbent mayors, county heads, and district heads to discuss the strategy and nomination principles for next year’s local elections.
Na Kyung-won, the head of the planning committee, emphasized during the meeting that next year’s local elections are crucial for checking the “reckless actions of the Lee Jae-myung administration.” She mentioned that the party aims to strengthen its roots while also expanding outward in an open manner.
Na also pointed out the difference in membership strength compared to the Democratic Party, noting that “while the Democratic Party has 1.1 million members with voting rights, our party has less than half of that,” and argued that strengthening the party’s base while expanding is not contradictory.
She added that talent recruitment should not only involve bringing new people in from outside but also rediscovering talent within the party. The previous rule that required at least one female candidate per district will now be amended to include the necessity of at least one young candidate.
In the meeting, a wide range of members participated, including lawmakers from the strategy committee as well as local government heads from Daegu, Busan, and Gyeongsangnam-do, who discussed regional situations and public sentiment.
Choi Jin-bong expressed the opinion that, during next year’s local election primaries, the weight of party opinion will be adjusted to 70% and suggested that the party should not become like the Democratic Party, which heavily relies on party loyalists, but should instead increase the influence of public opinion.
Other local government heads like Ryu Kyu-ha from Daegu and Seo Chul-mo from Daejeon shared regional sentiments and emphasized the need to boost party support in their areas, describing the specific challenges and strategic importance of their respective regions.
Joo Kyu-il, the mayor of Jinju in Gyeongsangnam-do, stressed the importance of the central party providing hopeful messages to effectively engage in opposition activities, committing to working hard to support people’s livelihood and increase party support.