Democratic Party Begins Recruitment for Regional Heads... Vital to Block 'Nomination Noise'

The Democratic Party has begun serious preparations for the 9th nationwide local elections and the National Assembly by-elections scheduled for June 3.

The Democratic Party's Central Committee for the Recommendation of Candidates for Public Office (Nomination Committee) announced on the 1st the schedule and detailed rules for the recruitment of candidates for regional heads based on the results of the first meeting held on the 27th of last month. The recruitment period is from the 2nd to the 9th.

Eligibility to apply is limited to 'party members' who have paid party dues at least six times, and those who have been deemed ineligible by the preliminary candidate qualification review committee will be excluded. The candidate registration fee is 7 million won.

However, to lower the entry barriers for socially disadvantaged groups and young people, there will be a fee reduction benefit. Young people in their 20s and those with severe disabilities will be fully exempt, while those aged 30 to 45 and seniors over 65 will receive a 50% reduction. However, current regional heads will be excluded from this fee reduction.

The key issue in this nomination process is 'transparency'. The Nomination Committee has mandated that all meetings and review records of the candidate recommendation bodies of city and provincial party organizations be preserved. New operational rules regarding the viewing and disposal of records have also been established. This is interpreted as a measure to preemptively block any noise or controversy regarding donations that may arise during the nomination process.

Additionally, a verification subcommittee dedicated to candidate verification has been established, with Representative Lee Soo-jin appointed as chair. The subcommittee will conduct a thorough review of the qualifications of candidates who decide to run after the recruitment period and those running in the by-elections.

The Nomination Committee has decided to maintain the principle of confidentiality regarding the results of candidate suitability investigations. However, for candidates who pass the qualification review, personal information, major career details, legislative activity plans, and manifesto implementation plans will be transparently disclosed to ensure voters' right to know.