PPP Ulsan nomination hit by early leak controversy

Apr 17, 2026, 11:45 am

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Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom (right) and former Ulsan Mayor Park Maeng-woo pose for a photo ahead of a candidate interview at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on March 12. /Yonhap News

A controversy is growing within the People Power Party over its nomination process in Ulsan, after a message declaring a candidate’s victory was shared in a group chat before the official announcement.

According to materials obtained on April 17, a KakaoTalk group chat titled “Nam-gu District Chief Lim Hyun-cheol Victory Camp” posted a message at 12:49 p.m. on April 3 stating, “Candidate Lim Hyun-cheol has been confirmed.” Follow-up messages such as “Congratulations” were also shared, creating an atmosphere that the result had already been finalized.

However, just minutes later, multiple notices reading “The administrator has hidden this message” appeared, indicating that the confirmation and congratulatory messages had been deleted. Additional similar messages posted around 3 p.m. were also reportedly removed.

Given that the party’s nomination committee officially announced the results at 3:15 p.m. the same day, the messages were circulated about two and a half hours earlier. This has raised suspicions that the outcome may have been leaked in advance or known to certain individuals beforehand.

The Ulsan nomination committee explained that ballot counting began at 3:06 p.m. due to delays in the arrival of the city party chair and that the candidate was finalized at 3:15 p.m.

Earlier, Ulsan City Council member Kim Dong-chil held a press conference raising concerns about the overall nomination process, questioning the fairness and credibility of the primary. He also alleged that nomination committee chair Park Sung-min attempted to influence the race by referencing prior communication with Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom.

Kim claimed that Park had said, “I have already spoken with Mayor Kim. You may call him,” and “I will first speak with Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon in Seoul, and then you can follow up,” suggesting possible coordination.

Separately, former Ulsan Mayor Park Maeng-woo also alleged that intermediaries approached Kim Dong-chil, offering to make him the nominee for Nam-gu district chief if Park withdrew from the race. He argued that this amounted to an attempt to persuade a candidate to step down.

Regarding these claims, Kim Dong-chil said that acquaintances linked to Park Sung-min had circulated a written statement acknowledging that they had asked for cooperation, though the document contained inconsistencies.

The statement reportedly described a meeting involving local media representatives and political figures, including a phone conversation suggesting efforts to discourage Park Maeng-woo from running as an independent candidate.

At the same time, the document also stated that no promises regarding nominations or specific candidates were made during a March 30 meeting, emphasizing that the interactions were made in good faith.

Meanwhile, the Ulsan nomination committee conducted a recount on April 9 following Kim Dong-chil’s objection and said no discrepancies were found. Reports that another candidate attended the recount were also denied.

#People Power Party #Ulsan #nomination controversy #KakaoTalk #primary election