Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, chosen as the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral candidate, poses after a news conference at the party’s Daegu office in Suseong District on April 26. [Photo=Yonhap]
Rep. Choo Kyung-ho has been selected as the People Power Party’s candidate for Daegu mayor in the June 3 local elections, setting up a matchup with Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum, a former prime minister.
The party’s central nomination committee announced April 26 that Choo won the primary held April 24-25. Speaking at a news conference at the party’s Daegu office in Suseong District, Choo said, “The competition is over. From this moment, we’re one team,” adding that he would “set aside small differences” to pursue “a major conservative unity and a major Daegu unity.”
Introducing himself as “Choo Kyung-ho, a professional economy mayor who can be deployed from day one,” he said, “I will answer with the economy,” and vowed to “stay sharp and focused.”
Addressing Kim, Choo said key tasks such as Daegu-North Gyeongsang integration should move forward “without wavering” regardless of who wins. He proposed forming a joint consultative body for Daegu’s economic development with participation from both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party to build a framework for “sustainable Daegu development” beyond administrations and parties.
Observers said the race could reach a turning point as conservatives rally behind a single candidate. Rep. Joo Ho-young and former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook, who had signaled independent bids after being cut from the nomination process, announced they would not run on April 23 and April 25, respectively. Lee, in tears, said she would support the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral candidate, a move seen as helping consolidate conservative support.
A poll commissioned by KBS Daegu and conducted by Hankook Research on April 20-22 among 800 Daegu residents age 18 and older, using wireless phone interviews, showed Kim at 43% and Choo at 26% in a head-to-head matchup. Details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission. Analysts said Choo appeared to trail at the time, but noted the poll preceded the withdrawals and Choo’s nomination.
As conservatives unified in Daegu, Democratic Party leaders also traveled to the city to back Kim. Party leader Jung Cheong-rae and policy chief Han Jeong-ae attended the opening of Kim’s campaign office. Kim presented a vision for Daegu in the era of artificial intelligence and robotics, saying the city has “top-level traditional manufacturing” but has struggled as times changed. He said combining that capacity with AI and robots would make Daegu a “digital industrialization hub.”
Separately, the People Power Party’s nomination committee on April 26 approved a single-candidate recommendation of former lawmaker Yoo Eui-dong for the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Pyeongtaek-eul, Gyeonggi Province. Yoo is set to face Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who has declared his candidacy.
The party’s central nomination committee announced April 26 that Choo won the primary held April 24-25. Speaking at a news conference at the party’s Daegu office in Suseong District, Choo said, “The competition is over. From this moment, we’re one team,” adding that he would “set aside small differences” to pursue “a major conservative unity and a major Daegu unity.”
Introducing himself as “Choo Kyung-ho, a professional economy mayor who can be deployed from day one,” he said, “I will answer with the economy,” and vowed to “stay sharp and focused.”
Addressing Kim, Choo said key tasks such as Daegu-North Gyeongsang integration should move forward “without wavering” regardless of who wins. He proposed forming a joint consultative body for Daegu’s economic development with participation from both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party to build a framework for “sustainable Daegu development” beyond administrations and parties.
Observers said the race could reach a turning point as conservatives rally behind a single candidate. Rep. Joo Ho-young and former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook, who had signaled independent bids after being cut from the nomination process, announced they would not run on April 23 and April 25, respectively. Lee, in tears, said she would support the People Power Party’s Daegu mayoral candidate, a move seen as helping consolidate conservative support.
A poll commissioned by KBS Daegu and conducted by Hankook Research on April 20-22 among 800 Daegu residents age 18 and older, using wireless phone interviews, showed Kim at 43% and Choo at 26% in a head-to-head matchup. Details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission. Analysts said Choo appeared to trail at the time, but noted the poll preceded the withdrawals and Choo’s nomination.
As conservatives unified in Daegu, Democratic Party leaders also traveled to the city to back Kim. Party leader Jung Cheong-rae and policy chief Han Jeong-ae attended the opening of Kim’s campaign office. Kim presented a vision for Daegu in the era of artificial intelligence and robotics, saying the city has “top-level traditional manufacturing” but has struggled as times changed. He said combining that capacity with AI and robots would make Daegu a “digital industrialization hub.”
Separately, the People Power Party’s nomination committee on April 26 approved a single-candidate recommendation of former lawmaker Yoo Eui-dong for the June 3 parliamentary by-election in Pyeongtaek-eul, Gyeonggi Province. Yoo is set to face Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who has declared his candidacy.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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