Stories from Busan · South Korea

The Democratic Party has officially recruited former Blue House AI Future Planning Secretary Ha Jung-woo to run for office in Busan. The party is reportedly beginning a campaign to promote his candidacy. He called on the National Assembly to finalize the necessary legislation to support these developments. Ha said that the intersection of local governance and AI will create a new era. There are ongoing calls within the conservative sector to demand no nominations in Busan Buk-gap. The People Power Party announced it is accepting applications for candidates in nine districts for the upcoming June 3 by-elections. The recruitment includes Busan Buk-gu, Daegu Dalseong, Incheon Yeonsu-gap, and Gyeonggi Hanam-gap. Busan Buk-gu has emerged as a primary area of interest due to the potential recruitment of Ha Jung-woo.

The Busan Buk-gu by-election has entered a three-way race involving People Power Party candidate Park Min-sik, independent candidate Han Dong-hoon, and Ha Jeon-su. Independent candidate Han Dong-hoon accused President Lee Jae-myung of illegal election interference, alleging the President instructed Ha Jeon-su to run. Ha Jeon-su responded that he persuaded the President to run and denied the interference allegations. The election was held for the 63rd National Assembly seat. Former lawmaker Park Min-sik has been confirmed as the People Power Party candidate for the Busan Buk-gap by-election. The election is scheduled to take place in 29 days. This confirmation establishes a three-way race between candidates Ha Jung-woo, Han Dong-hoon, and Park Min-sik. In Pyeongtaek, Kim Yong-ram has been confirmed as the Democratic Party candidate for the Ure-seon district.

Ha Jong-woo, former Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning at the Blue House, joined the Democratic Party today. He has headed directly to Busan Buk-gu Gap, his designated constituency.

A driver lost control of a vehicle and struck their head after being hit by a beverage sprayed from a car near the Geumjeong-gu interchange in Busan on April 27. The individual lost consciousness and was transported to a hospital.

Fourteen out of seventeen People Power Party lawmakers in the Busan region reportedly agree on the need for candidate unification. The lawmakers stated the primary motivation is to ensure victory in the upcoming election. Three members of the group reportedly do not support this consensus. Former National Intelligence Service Minister Park Min-sik and former KBS reporter Lee Young-pung stated there will be no unification of candidates for the People Power Party primary in Busan. The two candidates met with reporters after an interview to clarify their positions. Park Min-sik addressed questions regarding potential pressure from party leadership to unify candidates. No major clashes occurred during protests by supporters of Governor Kim Kwan-young and Representative Ahn Ho-young.

Ha Jung-woo, a senior secretary at the Blue House, has submitted his resignation to President Lee Jae-myung. Ha is being recruited by the Democratic Party as a candidate for the Busan Buk-gu Gap district. Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon criticized the move, suggesting that if President Lee directed Ha to run in Busan, it would constitute illegal election interference. Local voters in Busan are reportedly evaluating candidates based on regional engagement rather than party affiliation.