SEOUL – The satellite party associated with South Korea's main opposition, the Democratic Party (DP), has for the second time denied the nomination of human rights activist Lim Tae-hoon as a candidate for the upcoming general elections. The refusal stems from Lim's history as a conscientious objector to the mandatory military service, a decision initially made earlier this week and reaffirmed on Friday. Lim Tae-hoon, formerly leading the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, sought nomination as a proportional candidate from the satellite party, an alliance formed by the DP with coalition partners, including civil society representatives.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the disqualification was maintained after thorough discussions, concluding that there were no compelling reasons to revise the earlier decision. This stance has sparked considerable internal discord, highlighted by the resignation offer of all 10 standing members from the civil society bloc in protest of Friday's decision. Despite these tensions, Lim has objected to the disqualification, arguing against equating conscientious objection with evasion of military service. Observers had anticipated that the reversal of Lim's nomination was unlikely given the DP's significant influence over the nomination process. The incident adds to the ongoing internal controversy within the DP's satellite party over nominations, further complicated by withdrawals from two candidates criticized for their connections to groups with pro-North Korean and anti-U.S. sentiments.