MDP Leader Chough Set to Run in Daegu

Chough Soon-hyung, the leader of the Millennium Democratic Party, will renounce his current electoral precinct in northern Seoul, and Rep. Kim Kyung-jae, a standing member of the MDP’s central committee, will give up his district in Sunchon, South Cholla province to run in Seoul: a sign that a sweeping of the “old guards” is accelerating.

At the fourth anniversary ceremony of the party in the headquarters in Seoul, Chough said, “Because multi-term (MDP) legislators are seeking to ensconce themselves in easy districts over tough ones, public criticism is rising.” “I will renounce my old district and run in the city of Daegu, which elected my father Cho Byong-ok to a seat in the third National Assembly, and which is currently void of a MDP lawmaker,” he added, urging the incumbent lawmakers of his party to follow his lead.

“As Admiral Yi Sun-shin said centuries ago, risking your own life will eventually save your life, and I will risk my political fate to challenge regional bias. I hope Daegu citizens make a wise judgment,” he continued. “I need daunting decisions from other legislators, especially multi-term serving members,” Chough concluded.

“I have renounced my vested interest in the southwestern region. I hope that my life-risking struggle for my political integrity helps prompt the same resolutions among leading members in the region,” Rep. Kim said

Chang Jae-sik, a standing member of the MDP central committee, said he will renounce his precinct in northern Seoul to support electoral campaigns nationwide. He will be at the bottom of a pool of MDP candidates who seek non-contested seats in the assembly which will be assigned in proportion with the vote it wins.

The DLP central committee will discuss ways to field candidates in the southeastern regions and announce an open letter to the citizens of Daegu at an urgent meeting on January 20.

Sung-Won Park swpark@donga.com