Democratic lawmaker Park Hong-bae enters race for Busan party chair

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Hong-bae declared his candidacy Wednesday for the party's Busan metropolitan chapter chairmanship.

Park made the announcement at a press conference at the Busan City Council briefing room. A proportional-representation lawmaker, Park was recently appointed chair of the Sasang-gu district committee, making him the only sitting Democratic Party Assembly member serving as a district committee chair in Busan.

According to political sources, current chapter chair Byeon Seong-wan and most other district committee chairs have indicated they do not plan to run in the next chapter chair election. If Park runs unopposed, he is expected to be formally elected through a party member approval vote later this month.

"Busan's Democratic Party now needs strong leadership and unity to complete the transformation of Busan," Park said. "Together with our party members, I will build a Busan that runs again and a Democratic Party that wins."

He added that the next two years represent a "golden window" for determining Busan's future, pledging to serve as a bridge between the central government and the city to advance key priorities — realizing Busan's vision as a maritime capital, preparing for the Arctic shipping route era and fostering future industries in the southeastern region. He also vowed to build a "one-team Busan chapter" that lays the groundwork for victory in the 2028 general election.