Next Year's Mokpo Mayor Local Election Expected to Feature 'Two Strong Contenders' System of Incumbent and Former Officials

Democratic Party-Open Democratic Party Pre-Presidential Election Party Merger and Withdrawal Penalty Issues Key

Former Mokpo City Councilor Jo Yohan Participates in Democratic Party Primary... Actively Strengthening Position

With the local elections just over a year away, a two-party system is expected between Mokpo Mayor Kim Jong-sik (right in the photo) and former Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul (left in the photo).

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] With the 8th nationwide local elections just over a year away, interest in candidates running for mayor of Mokpo, Jeonnam is increasing.

Mokpo has traditionally been classified as a stronghold of the Democratic Party of Korea, making the candidate selection largely dependent on whether candidates run within the party.

In particular, with Mayor Kim Jongsik’s bid for re-election almost certain, the question of who will run as the Democratic Party’s candidate for Mokpo mayor has become a hot topic in the region.

So far, the only candidate mentioned as a competitor to Mayor Kim within the party is former Mokpo City Council member Jo Yohan.

Former Councilor Jo, who ran in the party’s mayoral primary in the 2018 local elections, is currently serving as deputy chief at the party’s central office, actively solidifying his position within the party.

Additionally, based on his diverse political experience as a former aide to former Minister of Education Yoo Si-min and as a Mokpo City Council member, Jo is expected to prepare for the primary as a young contender against Mayor Kim.

Especially, there is busy activity among candidates to recruit party members needed for the party member voting, which carries the greatest weight in the party primary.

Meanwhile, former Jeonnam Provincial Council member Jeon Gyeongseon, who had been considering running for mayor until recently, is reported to have given up on the party primary after deciding to seek re-election as an incumbent.

Unlike the situation within the Democratic Party, former Mokpo Mayor Park Hongryul, considered a strong candidate, is currently serving as chairman of the Open Democratic Party’s Jeonnam Provincial Party and is preparing for next year’s election. With growing public opinion favoring a merger with the Democratic Party, he is also seen as another potential candidate in the party primary.

However, since Chairman Park previously left the Democratic Party, it remains uncertain whether he will accept the party’s penalty and enter the party primary.

Moreover, in 2014, Chairman Park ran as an independent and won against Democratic Party candidate Lee Sangryeol, so the possibility of running as an independent still carries significant weight.

However, with the Democratic Party’s approval ratings potentially trailing or remaining within the margin of error against the People Power Party ahead of next year’s presidential election, the possibility of a merger with the Open Democratic Party and the central party’s potential adjustment of conditional penalties for leaving the party mean that Chairman Park is not yet ready to give up hope, according to local political analysts.

In addition, former Mokpo City Council member Yeo Indu, secretary-general of the Justice Party’s Jeonnam Provincial Party, is also expected to run as a mayoral candidate, while the People Power Party and the Minjung Party are also likely to field mayoral candidates.

With the current and former Mokpo mayors forming a two-strong system and numerous emerging candidates being considered, the preliminary battle for next year’s local elections has begun.