Cho Eung-cheon, former lawmaker. (Yonhap)
Cho Eung-cheon, a former Reform New Party lawmaker, announced on the 27th that he will run for Gyeonggi governor in the June 3 local elections.
In a Facebook post, Cho declared his candidacy, saying, “Other than the candidates from the two entrenched parties who I just can’t bring myself to support, I’m the only person I truly want to vote for.”
He said he had “hesitated for a long time and thought hard,” arguing that while the two major parties “fight while only paying lip service to people’s livelihoods,” the 14 million residents of Gyeonggi have been forced into “the life of an ‘egg white’ surrounding Seoul.”
Cho added that he understands “what the problems are,” saying he has served as a Democratic Party lawmaker and also held a role under a conservative administration. “I’m running for Gyeonggi governor. Cho Eung-cheon will do it,” he wrote.
A former prosecutor, Cho served as senior presidential secretary for public service discipline at the Blue House under the Park Geun-hye government. He was elected to the 20th and 21st National Assembly as a member of the Democratic Party, then left the party after conflicts with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction. He switched to the Reform New Party in 2024 and ran in that year’s 22nd general election but lost.
With Cho formalizing his bid, the Gyeonggi governor’s race is increasingly likely to take shape as a three-way contest. The Democratic Party has selected Rep. Choo Mi-ae as its candidate, and the People Power Party is set to decide its nominee on May 2. Because the People Power Party and the Reform New Party are both generally classified as conservative, concerns have been raised that conservative votes could split, fueling talk of a possible future unification of candidates.
In a Facebook post, Cho declared his candidacy, saying, “Other than the candidates from the two entrenched parties who I just can’t bring myself to support, I’m the only person I truly want to vote for.”
He said he had “hesitated for a long time and thought hard,” arguing that while the two major parties “fight while only paying lip service to people’s livelihoods,” the 14 million residents of Gyeonggi have been forced into “the life of an ‘egg white’ surrounding Seoul.”
Cho added that he understands “what the problems are,” saying he has served as a Democratic Party lawmaker and also held a role under a conservative administration. “I’m running for Gyeonggi governor. Cho Eung-cheon will do it,” he wrote.
A former prosecutor, Cho served as senior presidential secretary for public service discipline at the Blue House under the Park Geun-hye government. He was elected to the 20th and 21st National Assembly as a member of the Democratic Party, then left the party after conflicts with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction. He switched to the Reform New Party in 2024 and ran in that year’s 22nd general election but lost.
With Cho formalizing his bid, the Gyeonggi governor’s race is increasingly likely to take shape as a three-way contest. The Democratic Party has selected Rep. Choo Mi-ae as its candidate, and the People Power Party is set to decide its nominee on May 2. Because the People Power Party and the Reform New Party are both generally classified as conservative, concerns have been raised that conservative votes could split, fueling talk of a possible future unification of candidates.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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