[Politics, That Day...] The Paradox of the Seoul Mayor Primary's Popularity... All Three 'Big Shots' of Hannara Lose

Grand National Party 2006 Seoul Mayor Primary Election, 'Hong Jun-pyo, Maeng Hyung-gyu, Park Jin' Enter the Race
After the Candidacy of a Politician Away from Reality Politics, Prepared Seoul Mayor Candidates Become 'Fallen Leaves'

Editor's Note[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]
‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

On the 13th, the day of the 7th nationwide local elections and the by-elections for the National Assembly, vote counters are counting ballots at the counting center set up at Myongji College in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The internal primary election within the Hannara Party for the Seoul mayoral candidate during the 4th nationwide simultaneous local elections in 2006 remains a mystery even upon review. At that time, the Seoul mayoral election landscape was clearly favorable to the Hannara Party. In fact, the party had three ‘big-name politicians’ who had thrown their hats into the ring. This means there were three strong cards that would not lose even in terms of personal appeal.

The main figures were politicians Hong Jun-pyo, Maeng Hyung-kyu, and Park Jin. Candidate Hong Jun-pyo later became a two-term governor of Gyeongnam and the presidential candidate of the Liberty Korea Party, marking him as a political leader. This indicates he was fully capable of handling the weight of the 2006 Seoul mayoral candidacy.

At the time of his 2006 Seoul mayoral bid, Maeng Hyung-kyu was a three-term lawmaker recognized for his political abilities, later serving as the Chief Political Secretary at the Blue House and Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Park Jin was a former member of the National Assembly from Jongno, known as the ‘political first street,’ and had served as the chairman of the Hannara Party’s Seoul Metropolitan City branch.

They were all figures whose political experience and qualifications had been verified, sharing the commonality of being former Seoul lawmakers familiar with local issues. They polished policies and organizations, waiting only for the decisive day to achieve the goal of winning the Seoul mayoral election. They were filled with expectations that passing the Hannara Party’s internal primary would secure them the victory trophy.

However, none of the three big-name politicians preparing for the Hannara Party’s Seoul mayoral primary made it onto the ballot. The election landscape rapidly changed with the announcement of candidacy by lawyer Oh Se-hoon, who had returned to the legal profession after declaring he would not run in the 2004 general election. Oh Se-hoon, who had kept his distance from politics, quickly rose as a strong candidate upon declaring his participation in the 2006 primary.

After Oh Se-hoon announced his candidacy, Park Jin withdrew from the race, turning the Hannara Party’s Seoul mayoral primary into a three-way contest among Oh Se-hoon, Maeng Hyung-kyu, and Hong Jun-pyo. The Hannara Party’s Seoul mayoral primary held on April 25, 2006, at the fencing arena in Jamsil Olympic Park, Seoul, was a huge success in terms of public interest.

An interesting point is that the Hannara Party’s Seoul mayoral primary voters did not select Oh Se-hoon as their first choice. Maeng Hyung-kyu received 1,443 votes from the voting members, securing first place. Oh Se-hoon came in second with 1,343 votes, and Hong Jun-pyo also performed well with 1,053 votes.

The power that instantly overturned the Hannara Party’s Seoul mayoral election landscape was the ‘public opinion poll.’ Oh Se-hoon led the public opinion poll with an overwhelming 65% support rate, distancing himself from his competitors. Hong Jun-pyo received 18% in the poll, and Maeng Hyung-kyu only 17%. The two candidates garnered about one-third of Oh Se-hoon’s support in the public opinion poll.

The final combined vote percentages from the voting members and public opinion poll were Oh Se-hoon 41.0%, Maeng Hyung-kyu 33.5%, and Hong Jun-pyo 25.5%. Oh Se-hoon struggled somewhat with ‘party sentiment’ but showed overwhelming superiority in ‘public sentiment,’ leading to his selection as the candidate. The Hannara Party, buoyed by the momentum of the successful Seoul mayoral primary, comfortably won the general election.

The 2006 Hannara Party Seoul mayoral candidate selection is considered a model case of a successful primary election. However, it is noteworthy that the ‘prepared candidates’ who had been running for Seoul mayor were eliminated prematurely in the preliminary round. When a candidate with a relatively short preparation period for the Seoul mayoral race is urgently introduced before the election, the verification process is inevitably insufficient.

How will the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election in April unfold? Will a figure who was not previously listed among the Seoul mayoral candidates suddenly rise again? Given that ‘external recruitment’ is being discussed in both ruling and opposition parties, it is not impossible.

However, the leading candidates for this Seoul mayoral by-election include former Seoul mayors, candidates who placed second and third in previous Seoul mayoral elections, and past primary candidates, making it a challenging environment for an unexpected figure to suddenly emerge.