Cho Kwang-han, a People Power Party supreme council member who had been running for the party’s nomination for Gyeonggi governor, announced Tuesday that he is ending his bid and backing Lee Seong-bae, a former announcer. The move sets up a three-way primary contest among Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja, former lawmaker Ham Jin-gyu and Lee.
Cho told a news conference at the National Assembly that he would step down as a candidate in the party’s Gyeonggi governor primary. “For the party’s victory alone, I will return to where I need to be,” he said.
Cho said he believes Lee will win the primary and “make a miracle” in the general election, adding that he is confident Gyeonggi will “make a leap to a younger province” under a “youth governor.”
Cho called Lee “the only candidate who can defeat” Democratic Party candidate Choo Mi-ae. He said he will serve as Lee’s campaign chief.
Lee also held a news conference at the National Assembly on Tuesday to formally declare his run for governor. He said he would be a governor who communicates residents’ voices into provincial policy and proposed a “three axes, five priorities” strategy.
Lee’s three development axes include: a semiconductor and artificial intelligence cluster centered on Pangyo, Yongin, Icheon, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek; a SMART automobile cluster centered on Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Siheung, Gimpo and Pangyo; and a bio-medical cluster centered on Goyang, Paju, Uijeongbu, Yangju and Namyangju. He listed jobs, housing, education, transportation and culture as five priorities and said he would build living conditions based on a “15-minute living zone” concept.
The People Power Party plans to hold two primary debates, then conduct voting over two days starting April 30, before announcing its final nominee on May 2.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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