A heavyweight opposition politician Thursday filed his bid for a parliamentary election with the by-elections only three weeks away.
The former three-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young registered his candidacy with the election watchdog as soon as the National Election Commission opened its two-day candidate registration for the April 29 elections.
Chung’s campaign in the B constituency of Seoul’s southern district of Gwanak is expected to draw the keenest attention as it may determine the political fate of the long-time member of what is now the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy who defected to create a new party.
Coming in the middle of President Park Geun-hye’s five-year term, the elections may also serve as a yardstick for public confidence in the administration as well as a bellwether for next year’s general election for the ruling and main opposition parties.
Four seats total are up for grabs in Gwanak, the populous port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, Seongnam, south of Seoul, and the southwestern city of Gwangju. (Yonhap)
