PPP taps Park Deok-heum as nomination chief

Apr 02, 2026, 09:17 am

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Rep. Park Deok-heum, selected as the new head of the nomination management committee of the People Power Party. / Yonhap

The People Power Party has appointed four-term lawmaker Park Deok-heum as the new head of its nomination management committee for the June 3 local elections, aiming to stabilize its candidate selection process after internal conflict.

The decision came just a day after the resignation of former committee chief Lee Jung-hyun. The party leadership is expected to focus on restoring order and ensuring a more stable nomination system.

Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk told reporters at the National Assembly on April 1, “We plan to appoint Rep. Park, who is highly trusted within the party, as the nomination committee chair.” He added that pending issues — including regions facing injunction filings, Gyeonggi Province, and several local governments — would be finalized under the new committee.

The party also decided to form a separate nomination committee for parliamentary by-elections taking place alongside the local polls.

The appointment is widely seen as an effort to prioritize organizational stability following internal disputes that led to the previous chair’s departure. Observers say Park’s experience as a senior lawmaker could help minimize factional conflict and accelerate preparations ahead of the election.

The party plans to formally approve the appointment at a Supreme Council meeting on April 2 and announce additional committee members. Aside from ex-officio members such as Secretary-General Jung Hee-yong and Clean Nomination Support Team head Kwak Gyu-taek, most members are expected to be newly appointed.

The newly formed committee is expected to speed up candidate selection in key regions, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, where delays and internal tensions have persisted. Major unresolved issues include the selection method for the Gyeonggi governor candidate, reorganization of nominations in North Chungcheong Province, and the aftermath of the Daegu mayoral cutoff.

#Park Deok-heum #People Power Party #nomination committee #local elections