[22nd General Election Who's Running] Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu (Gap)

Jo O-seop vs Jeong Jun-ho Democratic Party Nomination Return Match

Progressive Party Candidate Kim Ju-eop Also Throws Hat in the Ring for Gold Badge

The Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu (Gap) electoral district has confirmed a rematch between incumbent Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Jo O-seop and lawyer Jeong Jun-ho.

Among the five preliminary candidates registered with the Election Commission, four belonged to the Democratic Party and were preparing for a primary, but recently two were cut off, resulting in a one-on-one party primary between incumbent lawmaker Jo O-seop and lawyer Jeong Jun-ho.

From the left, Jo O-seop, Jeong Jun-ho, Kim Ju-eop, preliminary candidates.

Lawmaker Jo is from the '86 generation' of student activists at Chonnam National University. He entered politics as a city council member for the same district in 2011, when Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung, his senior in the university activist circle, was the Buk-gu Gap lawmaker.

After losing the 2018 Buk-gu mayoral primary, he succeeded in entering the 21st National Assembly, gaining experience from grassroots democracy to politics in Yeouido.

He worked in the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee during both the first and second halves of the term, resolving major local issues such as the confirmation of the Honam Expressway and the doubling of Gwangju Songjeong Station's expansion.

He also addressed long-standing local complaints, including the sewage pipeline maintenance project in the areas of Duam-dong, Junghung-dong, Usan-dong, and Pungyang-dong, as well as improving the residential environment of rental apartments in Gak-hwa, Duam 2, Duam 3, Ochi 1, and Usan 3.

Within the party, he has served as the floor spokesperson, spokesperson for the 20th presidential election campaign committee, and spokesperson for the Democratic Party's emergency committee, earning a reputation as a 'speaker' opposing the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.

After enduring hardships, lawyer Jeong Jun-ho first entered politics at an early age in his 30s, receiving a strategic nomination from the Democratic Party in the 2016 Gwangju Buk-gu Gap district, which experienced a 'green wave.'

Although he lost to Kim Kyung-jin of the People's Party at that time, he was regarded as a fresh and spirited talent, nicknamed 'Youthful DJ.' He is a self-made man from a humble background who scored a perfect score on the college entrance exam.

In the 21st general election, he again lost the nomination to lawmaker Jo O-seop, marking his third attempt. He has served as the head of the Democratic Party Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu Gap regional committee, vice-chair of the policy committee, vice-chair of the legal committee, ethics judge of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Party, and head of the 3rd organization division of Lee Jae-myung's Gwangju presidential campaign headquarters.

Under the slogan 'Double the value of Buk-gu,' he has presented a blueprint including ▲restoration of Seobangcheon ecological stream to revitalize the Jungheung and Sinan-dong commercial districts ▲construction of a low-depth underground road connecting Seobang Market and Munheung IC ▲creation of an urban-type joint campus in front of Chonnam National University.

The Progressive Party has entered the race with Kim Ju-eop, former chairman of the National Public Officials Labor Union and Gwangju City Party chairman, aiming to win a seat.

In his declaration of candidacy, he stated, "One and a half years into Yoon Seok-yeol's administration, South Korea has regressed to the era of Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship. Judging Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecutorial dictatorship is the demand of the times and the mandate of the people."

He appears to have appealed for consolidation of support by raising the issue of regime judgment. As a key pledge, targeting the Yoon government, he promised to end 'prosecutorial dictatorship' by introducing 'direct election of local prosecutors and establishment of a prosecution office.'

He also pledged to create a robust social safety net through the introduction of wealth tax and inheritance tax, reflecting the party's colors.

Meanwhile, Buk-gu Gap includes the districts of Junghung 1, 2, and 3-dong, Jungang-dong, Sinan-dong, Usan-dong, Pungyang-dong, Munhwa-dong, Seokgok-dong, Im-dong, Duam 1, 2, and 3-dong, Munheung 1 and 2-dong, and Ochi 1 and 2-dong.