GNP chases civic groups’ support

Ji Sang-wuk of Liberty Forward Party announces bid for mayoral by-election


Independent candidate Lee Seog-yeon has officially withdrawn his candidacy in the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election, but efforts to solidify support around a single conservative candidate continued.

“I wish to withdraw my previous pledge to challenge for the mayoral post,” Lee said in a press conference on Thursday morning.

“Despite the support from conservative civic groups, I faced limits in delivering my policies to the public and the political circles.”

He also admitted that his low poll numbers fell below his initial expectations.

The eyes of the Grand National Party were then drawn to whether conservative civic groups would turn their support to Rep. Na Kyung-won, the party’s standard bearer, especially as the liberal bloc is expected to unify around a single candidate Monday.

To negotiate disputed issues such as welfare policies, the right-wing camp held an open forum on Thursday afternoon.

“We are open to possibilities but all decisions will be made after the forum,” said a civic group representative late on Wednesday.

The ruling party’s recent moves to reinforce public welfare by supporting a drastic cut in college tuition fees and full-scale access to free school meals conflicted with the position of hardline right-wing civic groups, which denounced such measures as populist and financially unsound.

“We have to open ourselves to the civic groups’ voices in order to form conservative solidarity,” said GNP chairman Hong Joon-pyo in the party’s Supreme Council meeting.

While the GNP sought to embrace a full spectrum of conservative civic groups, Ji Sang-wuk, former spokesperson of the minority Liberty Forward Party, announced on Wednesday that he will enter the race.

Ji ran for the mayoral position last year and won more than 90,000 votes (2.04 percent), based on his popularity among conservatives in southern Seoul districts.

Considering that former Mayor Oh Se-hoon defeated Han Myeong-sook by the narrow margin of 0.6 percent, Ji’s participation may threaten Na’s position.

While Na weighed her chances against Ji and opposition candidates, the GNP’s former chairwoman and presidential frontrunner Rep. Park Geun-hye has so far refrained from officially supporting Na’s electoral campaign.

“Rep. Park has not yet spoken on whether or not she will step out to help in the by-elections,” said her aide Rep. Lee Jung-hyun on Thursday.

Some local newspapers reported earlier in the day that Park is to announce her stance early next week.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)