Single candidacy could boost conservatives’ chances in Busan, survey shows

A by-election for a parliamentary seat in Busan, to be held alongside the local elections on June 3, is drawing keen attention for fielding heavyweight candidates, including a former senior presidential aide from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a former minister from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and a former PPP leader who was expelled from the party. The focus is on whether the PPP candidate and former PPP leader will decide on single candidacy for a united conservative front against the DPK contender, who is leading opinion polls. The race for Busan’s Buk-A constituency has taken shape, featuring Ha Jung-woo of the DPK, a former AI secretary hand-picked by President Lee Jae Myung; Park Min-shik of the PPP, veteran affairs minister during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and former lawmaker for the district; and Han Dong-hoon, a high-profile independent running as a former justice minister under Yoon and former leader of the PPP. Ha, a Busan native, has led recent polls since securing his nomination, fueling expectations that he will take the seat, which b

Original source: Korea Times