Seongnam City with a 75-Vote Margin in the Presidential Election... People Power Party "Swift Redevelopment" vs Democratic Party "Housing Environment Improvement" [6·1 Local Election Battleground②]

Candidates Shin Sang-jin, Bae Guk-hwan, and Jang Ji-hwa
Close race within margin of error: 2 strong, 1 weak

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province is known as the political hometown of Lee Jae-myung, the senior advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea. However, in the last presidential election, the margin between the ruling and opposition candidates was as narrow as 0.01%, making this region classified as one where no one can be clearly favored in the upcoming June 1 local elections.

According to the National Election Commission on the 16th, candidates for the Seongnam mayoral election include Bae Guk-hwan from the Democratic Party (former 2nd Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance), Shin Sang-jin from the People Power Party (former member of the National Assembly), and Jang Ji-hwa from the Progressive Party (former co-chair of the Minjung Party).

Seongnam has traditionally been considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party. Although conservative party candidates from the Hannara Party won during the 3rd and 4th terms of the local government, since Lee Jae-myung, then a Democratic Party candidate, was elected in 2010, Democratic Party-affiliated candidates have held the mayoral office for 12 years. The current mayor, Eun Soo-mi, was elected in the 2018 local elections with about twice as many votes as Park Jung-oh from the Liberty Korea Party.

However, voter sentiment has been shifting since the last presidential election. At that time, candidate Lee Jae-myung narrowly defeated People Power Party candidate Yoon Seok-youl by 75 votes, a margin of only 0.01 percentage points. Lee won in two of Seongnam’s three autonomous districts (Sujeong and Jungwon), but lost by about 40,000 votes in Bundang District, which has the largest number of voters. Mayor Eun’s recent investigation over allegations of irregular hiring of close aides, with some officials receiving prison sentences, is also expected to negatively impact the Democratic Party.

This public sentiment is also reflected in recent opinion polls. A survey conducted by OBS through Media Research on June 8-9 targeting 504 Seongnam citizens aged 18 and older showed that Shin Sang-jin and Bae Guk-hwan had support rates of 42.9% and 40.9%, respectively, indicating a close race.

Kim Myung-soo, spokesperson for Bae’s campaign, told Asia Economy in a phone interview that "It is encouraging that Bae, who has been in politics for less than a month, has achieved support rates similar to a four-term National Assembly member," adding, "We pledge to improve the residential environment of aging apartment complexes, villas, and housing complexes, and to resolve railway and transportation issues in the Bundang area."

Candidate Shin expressed his determination, stating, "I will promptly push for the Bundang 1st New Town Special Act, expedite redevelopment and reconstruction in Sujeong and Jungwon districts, and swiftly address demands for subway extensions or new subway lines."