People Power Party's Ahn Tae-wook Criticizes Nomination Race

Ahn Tae-wook, Chairman of the People Power Party's Gwangju City Chapter, declared his candidacy for the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju special mayor on the 13th, pointing to a lack of principles in the party's candidate selection process. Ahn held a press conference at the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council on the morning of the same day and officially announced his bid for the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju special mayoral election in the June 3 local elections.

During the press conference, Ahn claimed that recent nomination management's lack of principles has caused chaos and questioned the fairness of the nomination process, directing criticism at his rival Lee Jung-hyun, former chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee. He asserted that the recent lack of principles in the party's nomination management has led to confusion, raising questions about two additional application rounds and processes seemingly tailored for specific individuals. Both Ahn Tae-wook and former committee chairman Lee Jung-hyun have applied for the People Power Party's nomination for the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju special mayor and are awaiting review by the central party's nomination management committee.

Ahn criticized Lee Jung-hyun's remarks calling Honam politicians 'people without desperation, strategy, or tenacity' as 'arrogant words that wound the sacrifices of senior and junior politicians who have strived to preserve conservatism in the Honam region.' Ahn introduced himself as a native born and raised in Gwangju, adding that he has accumulated diverse experience as a member of the conservative party.

Ahn Tae-wook emphasized the need for leadership to address insufficient consultation with the political sphere and citizens, as well as issues regarding the delegation of authority and finances for the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju special city. He presented five major development directions, including culture and tourism, as well as artificial intelligence, and outlined his plans for regional issues.