Court rejects PPP lawmaker’s bid to block party decision in Mayoral race

A Seoul court on Friday dismissed an injunction request filed by Rep. Joo Ho-young against the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) after he was excluded from the PPP's nomination for Daegu mayor in the June 3 local elections. The Seoul Southern District Court rejected the request from the six-term PPP lawmaker seeking an injunction against a decision by the party's nomination committee to exclude him and Lee Jin-sook, former head of the Korea Communications Commission, and to hold a preliminary primary among six other candidates. The court said such a decision is a matter that requires party autonomy and cannot be considered invalid solely due to doubts over its fairness. It added that it is difficult to conclude any grave illegality occurred, such as a significant violation of party regulations. While acknowledging that some of the process appears to include parts that are somewhat "wrong" or "unusual," a review of the submitted documents show it is insufficient to conclude there were grave procedural and substantive errors. Joo expressed regret over the court's ruling in a statement, saying he finds it hard to accept and he will decide on how he will respond in a prudent manner. He said regardless of the court's assessment, the ongoing nomination process should be sternly questioned on whether it is fair and democratic in the eyes of party members and the public. In a press conference, the PPP's nomination committee said it will conduct a primary among the six other candidates, excluding Joo and Lee, as planned. The party said it will take countermeasures should Joo decide to run as an independent.