Jeong Cheong-rae says Song Young-gil nominated in Yeonsu Gap as Democrats’ “only winning card”

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, hands a party jacket to Song Young-gil, the party’s by-election candidate in Yeonsu Gap, during a Supreme Council meeting at the campaign office of Jeong Ji-yeol, the party’s candidate for Yeonsu District mayor in Incheon, on April 24. [Photo by Yonhap]

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party, said the party nominated Song Young-gil in Incheon’s Yeonsu Gap district rather than Gyeyang Eul because it judged him to be its “only winning card.” Kim Nam-jun, a former Blue House spokesperson, will run in Gyeyang Eul, where Song has served five terms.

Speaking at an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Yeonsu District on April 24, Jeong said the party announced its nominees a day earlier for the Yeonsu Gap and Gyeyang Eul by-elections.

“Yeonsu is not an easy district, so we decided to send Song here,” Jeong said, adding that he was grateful Song accepted the party’s decision.

Song said he would “do my best to carry out the party’s order,” and pledged to build on the achievements of Park Chan-dae, the Incheon mayoral candidate who has served three terms in the Yeonsu area.

Kim, who will run in Gyeyang Eul, said he would take to heart Song’s remark that “Gyeyang is my roots and my heart,” and vowed to devote all his energy to the success of the Lee Jae-myung government.

The Democratic Party said it plans to quickly wrap up nominations for the by-elections by the first week of May.

* This article has been translated by AI.

LEE KEONHEE topkeontop12@ajunews.com