At a news conference at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Cho vowed to reform the country by rooting out insurrection forces behind disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched declaration of martial law in December 2024.
Cho, who had been expected to run in one of several contentious districts such as Ansan, Hanam and Busan, said he chose Pyeongtaek because it is the "toughest of tough districts" for the ruling Democratic Party (DP), having failed to win the seat against the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) three times in a row.
He then urged the DP not to field a candidate, saying that the seat has been left vacant after former DP lawmaker Yi Byeong-jin stepped down in January over election law-related violations.
The ex-justice minister, who received a two-year prison sentence in December 2024 for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions, was released in August last year under President Lee Jae Myung's first amnesty, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
