64 Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly members elected, 58 from People Power Party

64 Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly members elected, 58 from People Power Party

(Andong=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seung-hyeong = With the confirmation of 64 elected members for the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly through the 6/3 local elections, attention is focused on who will become the chairman of the first half of the 13th Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly is overwhelmingly dominated by the People Power Party, making it highly probable that a provincial assembly member who gains an advantage in internal competition within the People Power Party will be elected chairman.

According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly on the 4th, a total of 64 provincial assembly members (56 from electoral districts and 8 proportional representatives) were elected in this local election.

Of these, 58 are affiliated with the People Power Party (53 from electoral districts and 5 proportional representatives). Three are affiliated with the Democratic Party (proportional representatives), and three are independents (from electoral districts).

There were 23 electoral districts where candidates were elected unopposed, including all 5 districts in the Gyeongju area.

As the new provincial assembly will commence its term on the 2nd of next month, fierce competition for the next chairman is expected among veteran members.

Assembly member Kim Hee-soo from Pohang is the most senior member with 5 terms, while assembly members Bae Jin-seok and Choi Byung-joon from Gyeongju, and Park Young-seo from Mungyeong are in their 4th term.

Assembly member Kim Hee-soo served as the vice-chairman of the second half of the 11th Provincial Assembly, and Assembly member Choi Byung-joon served as the vice-chairman of the second half of the 12th Provincial Assembly and acted as chairman.

Assembly member Bae Jin-seok served as the vice-chairman of the second half of the 12th Provincial Assembly, and Assembly member Park Young-seo served as the vice-chairman of the first half of the 12th Provincial Assembly.

Provincial assembly members elect the chairman through a secret ballot, considering factors such as ability, seniority, and regional balance.

The voting intentions of the 27 first-term members among the elected officials in this local election are expected to be a variable.

A provincial assembly official said, "As the 13th Provincial Assembly will be newly launched with the formation of its organization in the extraordinary session opening in early July, the movement to elect the chairman will soon intensify."