Final Stretch of Seoul Mayor Candidate Selection Battle Between Ruling and Opposition Parties... "Who Will Win Party Base and Public Support?"

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Jeon Jin-young] The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party are heading into the final stages of the Seoul mayoral primary. The Democratic Party has begun the candidate selection process, while the People Power Party candidates are engaged in a last-minute power struggle over the primary rules.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party will start the primary voting to select the Seoul mayoral candidate from the 26th. From that day, the party will begin voting among Seoul-based party members (50%). The party member vote will be combined with the general electorate vote (50%), which will take place over two days starting on the 28th, and the final candidate will be announced on the 1st of next month.

Preliminary candidates Park Young-sun and Woo Sang-ho emphasized their strengths and appealed to voters in the final debate held the previous day. Candidate Park highlighted her experience as Minister of SMEs and Startups and moved into a consolidation phase, while candidate Woo focused on rallying the party base with the slogan "A candidate true to the Democratic Party." During the debate, Park took out an LDS (Least Dead Space) vaccine syringe and said, "When I was Minister of SMEs and Startups, I persuaded small business representatives to establish a smart factory for K-vaccine syringes to enable mass production." She added, "If I become mayor, I will work hard to end COVID-19." Candidate Woo emphasized, "We must choose who is the Democratic Party candidate that will protect ordinary people and the vulnerable, and who will stand by President Moon Jae-in until the end."

Polls show candidate Park leading candidate Woo. Additionally, Park holds a 10% bonus for being a female candidate. Woo’s challenge will likely be to rally his support base to cause an upset.

People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidates are clashing over the primary rules. The two leading candidates, Na Kyung-won and Oh Se-hoon, have expressed differing opinions on the polling method that will decide the final candidate and the operation of the debate evaluation panel.

On the 23rd, Oh Shin-hwan, Na Kyung-won, Oh Se-hoon, and Cho Eun-hee, candidates for the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral primary, attended the third head-to-head debate for Seoul mayoral preliminary candidates at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and shouted "Fighting." Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Candidate Na, who is considered to be ahead in party support, is concerned that polling results that do not consider party affiliation could lead to "reverse selection." On the other hand, candidate Oh has demanded the disbandment of the 1,000-member evaluation panel that judges debate winners and losers. Contrary to the panel’s intended composition of citizens and party members, it has been formed mainly of party members centered around district party organizations, raising concerns that debate outcomes could be decided by organizational strength rather than public opinion.

The People Power Party’s nomination management committee met that day to discuss whether to proceed with a 100% public primary and whether to maintain the current debate evaluation panel system. A key official from the committee said, "Candidates seem to be getting sensitive as the election nears," but added, "There will be no changes."