Young aspiring candidates who were cut from the People Power Party's local election nomination process have initiated legal proceedings, filing for an injunction to halt the effectiveness of the nomination decisions.

They argued that the nomination process lacked fairness and transparency, stating, "Young candidates were excluded without even a primary election, while individuals with criminal records, those from other parties, and those with controversies regarding election law violations were nominated for winnable seats."

The "Fairness and Responsibility Youth Alliance," a youth organization, held a press conference in front of the Seoul Southern District Court on April 30, raising issues with the nomination results in some local areas by the People Power Party. Young aspiring candidates from Busan, Seoul, and Gyeonggi, who were protesting the nomination process, attended the press conference.

"Excluded Without a Chance for a Primary"

Lee Young-gil, an aspiring candidate for the Sasang-gu council in Busan, claimed, "Individuals with criminal records, those from other parties, and those who violated election laws have been nominated. Furthermore, one individual who violated election laws has already received a warning from the local election management committee."

Choi Myung-jin, a young incumbent council member for Haeundae-gu, along with council members Nam Ji-won and aspiring candidate Kim Hyo-ju, also announced that they had submitted a petition to the People Power Party's Busan City Party Nomination Committee. They urged, "Even before the nomination screening, some incumbent council members had declared they would receive single nominations without even registering as aspiring candidates. A fair and transparent primary election must be guaranteed."

Lee Seung-hee, an aspiring candidate for Seoul City Council in the Songpa-gu district of Seoul, strongly criticized the so-called "blind nominations," stating, "I was cut off for unclear reasons and didn't even get a chance to participate in a primary election."

"Violation of the Spirit of Mandatory Youth Nomination"

The young aspiring candidates who have initiated the injunction process argued that the spirit of mandatory youth nomination, as stipulated by the People Power Party's regulations, has been clearly undermined. They stated that despite being entitled to a fair opportunity to participate in a primary election, their fundamental political rights and equal opportunity to compete were violated by unlawful and unjust decisions.

Their grievances extend beyond the simple rejection of specific candidates. The core issues revolve around whether the party's nomination principle of opening doors to youth, women, and new political entrants functioned properly in the actual screening process, and whether the nomination criteria and procedures were sufficiently explained to the candidates.

Nam Hye-kyung, a Ph.D. in Political Science and former Namyangju City Council member, who serves as the research director for the Fairness and Responsibility Youth Alliance, stated, "While the People Power Party's proportional representation for the Namyangju City Council was uniquely decided through the first-ever primary election, in specific constituencies, young, female, and new candidates who had registered early as aspiring candidates and participated in campaigning were cut off."

Dr. Nam Hye-kyung further added, "The protesting aspiring candidates have collectively submitted appeals and petitions for reconsideration to the central party and the Gyeonggi Provincial Party. If even candidates who meet the party's established criteria, such as morality, party contribution, and public opinion polls, are denied the opportunity to participate in primaries, then the meaning of the basic qualification assessment for public office candidates (PPAT), interviews, and campaigning after registering as an aspiring candidate is lost."

"Acceptance of Results is Possible Only with a Fair Nomination Process"

The young aspiring candidates argue that the lack of transparency in the nomination process, rather than the nomination results themselves, is a greater problem. While strategic considerations for election victory can be reflected in party nominations, they assert that at least criteria and procedures that candidates can understand must be presented.

Dr. Nam Hye-kyung stated, "Only when the nomination process is fair can the results be accepted, and only then can it lead to election victory. We plan to hold a public hearing after the local elections to address the issue of unfair nominations."

This move to file for an injunction is noteworthy as it signifies a trend of accumulated dissatisfaction among young and new candidates in the People Power Party's local election nomination process escalating into legal action.

In particular, the controversy surrounding whether a party that has emphasized the expansion of youth political participation has adequately guaranteed primary election opportunities for young candidates in the actual nomination process has the potential to remain a source of internal conflict even during the main local election campaign.