Candidates Apply for Proportional Seat Nominations

The pro-government Grand National Party announced yesterday the names of additional candidates to run for the upcoming general elections in 20 districts, including Seoul, Incheon and Gangwon Province.

The party’s screening committee has yet to announce its nominees for 67 key districts, such as the Gyeongsang provinces and the Seoul wards of Jongno, Jung and Gangnam. The qualifications of applicants for the remaining districts will be reviewed from today and the results will come out by week’s end.

The party also began to receive applications for proportional parliamentary seats. Applications will be accepted until Tuesday.

Some 180 people applied for proportional seat nominations yesterday, including Lee Yong-deuk, former president of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Roh Sun-hee, former vice spokeswoman of the presidential transition committee; Kim Geum-rae, women’s affairs adviser to Lee Myung-bak during last year’s presidential campaign; and Nam Sang-hae, president of Harimgak Convention Center.

The party leadership is striving to find high-profile female candidates since an equal number of proportional seats must go to male and female representatives under the party constitution. Jang Myung-soo, adviser to the major daily Hankook Ilbo, is reportedly a leading candidate for such a seat but is known to have declined the offer.

Potential female proportional representatives include Lee Kyung-sook, former chairwoman of the presidential transition committee; Bae Eun-hee, who was chief campaign manager for Lee Myung-bak; and Hang Young, a member of the party’s supreme council.

The list of potential proportional representatives from the Jeolla provinces includes Park Jae-soon, chief of the party’s chapter in South Jeolla Province; vice party spokesman Kang Sung-man, who ran in by-elections in the Muan-Sinan constituency in South Jeolla Province; Kim Young-gu, former chief of the party chapter in North Jeolla Province; Lim Hyang-soon, president of the Honam Fraternity in Seoul; and Choi Moon-hyoo, former director of the National Assembly library.

The list of potential proportional representatives close to President Lee Myung-bak includes Dongseo University professor Kim Dae-sik, who supervised external organizations during the party primaries and presidential election; Lee Chun-sik, former deputy Seoul mayor for political affairs; Sejoong Tour CEO Chun Shin-il, who managed the Korea University network; former Justice Minister Song Jung-ho, who led a group of financial supporters of President Lee; and Lee Sang-chul, former CEO of the Monthly Chosun magazine.

Potential proportional representatives close to former party chairwoman Park Geun-hye includes Lee Jung-hyun, former public relations secretary to Park; Baek Gi-yub, vice chairman of the party’s international committee; Ahn Byung-hoon, former vice president of the daily Chosun Ilbo; former Army Chief of Staff Nam Jae-joon; and Lee Byung-ki, former adviser to the party for the presidential primaries.

ditto@donga.com