The race for chief of Seoul’s Gangseo Ward office is heating up a week before the by-election that is seen as a key test of voter sentiment ahead of next year’s quadrennial parliamentary elections.
The upcoming election, set for Oct. 11, is to pick only one of Seoul’s 25 ward chiefs, but it carries extra weight as it is considered a bellwether of how the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will fare in April’s general elections.
Seven candidates are vying in the election, but it is largely a two-way race between the PPP and the DP. The PPP candidate is former Gangseo Ward office chief Kim Tae-woo while his DP rival is Jin Kyo-hoon, a former deputy chief of national police.
The by-election takes place after Kim was removed from the post in May due to a suspended prison sentence given to him for leaking official secrets he gained when working for a special inspection team under the presidential office during the previous administration.
Kim calls himself a whistleblower, arguing that the disclosure was for the public good.
After Kim’s rights were reinstated through the Liberation Day presidential pardon in August, the PPP nominated him again for the post last month.
Jin Kyo-hoon (L), the Gangseo Ward office chief candidate from the main opposition Democratic Party, and Kim Tae-woo (R), the candidate from the ruling People Power Party, campaign for the by-election for the ward’s chief office seat, in Seoul on Oct. 3, 2023. (Yonhap)
Jin Kyo-hoon (L), the Gangseo Ward office chief candidate from the main opposition Democratic Party, and Kim Tae-woo (R), the candidate from the ruling People Power Party, campaign for the by-election for the ward’s chief office seat, in Seoul on Oct. 3, 2023. (Yonhap)
The rival parties have conducted intensive campaigning throughout the Chuseok holiday.
The PPP says Kim deserves a second chance, claiming he was treated unfairly by the judges for something he has done for the public good. They also argue Kim could help maintain continuity of administrative affairs at the ward office, as he is running for his previous seat.
On the other hand, the DP says Jin is the right person for the job, as he can utilize 33 years of experience in the police. The party also says it must win the by-election so as to pass a judgment on the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The district of Gangseo is a traditional stronghold of the DP, with all three parliamentary seats of the region held by DP lawmakers. Its voters also gave greater support for DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung when he ran against then presidential candidate Yoon.
Source: Yonhap News Agency