With about a month left until the June 3 local elections, the People Power Party completed the lineup for all 16 metropolitan mayors and governors after selecting Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja on May 2 as its candidate for Gyeonggi governor. With both major parties focused on winning, an all-out campaign is expected in the remaining weeks.
Seoul, often seen as the marquee race, will pit Democratic Party candidate Jeong Won-oh against People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon. Jeong is highlighting his administrative experience as a three-term district chief, while Oh is emphasizing stability as a four-term mayor. Kim Jeong-cheol of the Reform Party and Kwon Young-kuk of the Justice Party are also running for Seoul mayor.
Gyeonggi, another top battleground where a first female metropolitan leader is considered likely, will feature Democratic Party candidate Choo Mi-ae against People Power Party candidate Yang. Choo is a six-term lawmaker and chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Yang is known as Samsung Electronics’ first female executive who rose from a high school graduate track.
Attention is also on whether conservatives can unify behind a single candidate in Gyeonggi. Jo Eung-cheon, who initially mentioned unity soon after entering the race as a Reform Party candidate, appeared to shift his stance at an emergency news conference on May 3, saying, “We must not take the tiresome cartel structure of the two major parties for granted.” Whether a unity deal happens remains uncertain.
Other races drawing focus include Daegu and Busan. In Daegu, Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum, who has served as a Cabinet member, will face People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho. Kim, who has served as prime minister and as a four-term lawmaker, also won a seat in Daegu’s Suseong-gap district in the 20th general election. Choo has served as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, as a three-term lawmaker and as People Power Party floor leader.
In Busan, Democratic Party candidate Jeon Jae-soo, who served as the first oceans and fisheries minister in the Lee Jae-myung government, will run against People Power Party candidate Park Hyung-joon, who served as senior presidential secretary for political affairs in the Lee Myung-bak government and won reelection as Busan mayor. Reform Party candidate Jeong I-han is also in the race, seeking to become the youngest mayor.
In Incheon, Democratic Party candidate Park Chan-dae will face People Power Party candidate Yoo Jeong-bok. Park is considered a leading pro-Lee Jae-myung figure after serving as Democratic Party floor leader when Lee was party leader. Yoo won the Incheon mayoral race in the 2014 and 2022 local elections.
In Daejeon, Democratic Party candidate Heo Tae-jeong and People Power Party candidate Lee Jang-woo, both current or former Daejeon mayors, will square off. Heo previously served as Yuseong district chief and became Daejeon mayor in 2018. Lee is the incumbent mayor and previously served two terms as a lawmaker representing Daejeon’s Dong district.
In Sejong, Democratic Party candidate Cho Sang-ho, a former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, will face incumbent Sejong Mayor Choi Min-ho of the People Power Party. In South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces, Democratic Party candidates Park Soo-hyun and Shin Yong-han will run against People Power Party candidates Kim Tae-heum and Kim Young-hwan, respectively.
In Gangwon Province, the Democratic Party nominated Woo Sang-ho, its first nominee in the party and a former senior presidential secretary for political affairs in the Lee Jae-myung government. The People Power Party nominated two-term lawmaker and incumbent Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae.
In the Yeongnam region, often viewed as a conservative stronghold, North Gyeongsang Province will see Democratic Party candidate Oh Jung-gi, who ran in the 2018 gubernatorial race, face People Power Party candidate Lee Cheol-woo, a two-term governor and three-term lawmaker.
In South Gyeongsang Province, Democratic Party candidate Kim Kyung-soo, elected in the 2018 local elections, will run against incumbent People Power Party Gov. Park Wan-soo, elected in 2022.
In Ulsan, Democratic Party candidate Kim Sang-wook, who moved from the People Power Party to the Democratic Party, will face People Power Party candidate Kim Doo-gyeom, who is seeking reelection. Kim Sang-wook, along with Jinbo Party candidate Kim Jong-hoon and Cho Kuk Innovation Party candidate Hwang Myung-pil, has agreed in principle to pursue a unified candidacy by May 13 and is discussing details.
For the first-ever elected integrated mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju merged city, the Democratic Party nominated Min Hyung-bae, a former Gwangsan district chief and a two-term lawmaker. The People Power Party nominated Lee Jeong-hyun, a three-term lawmaker from a Honam constituency and chair of the party’s nomination committee for this local election.
In North Jeolla and Jeju, Democratic Party candidates Lee Won-taek, a two-term lawmaker previously linked to allegations of paying for others’ meal expenses, and Wi Seong-gon, a three-term lawmaker, will face People Power Party candidates Yang Jeong-moo and Moon Seong-yoo, who previously led the Korea Asset Management Corp., respectively.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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