‘First Metropolitan Council Member in 20s and Most Elected Nationwide’ - Gwangju and Jeonnam’s Notable Winners

20s First Metropolitan Council Member Myeongno Lee · Nationwide Longest-Serving '9 Terms' Pilgu Kang

Independent Long-Term Rule Blocker Hanjong Kim · 'Tie' Seniority Decider Kangjeong Kim

‘End of 12-Year KTU Monopoly’ Elected Superintendent

From the left in the photo: Lee Myung-no, Gwangju Metropolitan City Councilor; Kang Pil-gu, Yeonggwang County Councilor; Kim Kang-jung, Naju City Councilor; Kim Han-jong, Jangseong County Governor; Lee Jeong-seon, Gwangju Metropolitan City Superintendent-elect.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The June 1st simultaneous local elections nationwide have concluded. Out of the 17 metropolitan governments across the country, the People Power Party secured 12. The Democratic Party only won in five areas including Gyeonggi Province governor, Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, and Jeju, leading to analyses of a crushing defeat. While Gwangju and the Honam region remained strongholds of the Democratic Party, the voter turnout in Gwangju was the lowest nationwide at the 30% range, prompting voices that even in their stronghold, the Democratic Party faced silent judgment. Setting aside these political circumstances as a task for the parties, we look at the locally notable elected officials.

▲ The first 20-something metropolitan council member ‘Elected Official Lee Myeongno’

For the first time in Gwangju, a 20-something city council member was elected. The protagonist is elected official Lee Myeongno.

Lee ran as a Democratic Party candidate in Gwangju City Council’s Seo-gu 3rd electoral district and won 14,454 votes, surpassing incumbent council member Song Hyeongil, an independent candidate, becoming the youngest city council member elected.

Before Lee’s election, the youngest city council member was Im Hyeongjin, elected in the first local elections at age 36.

Lee, who served as president of the student council at Chonnam National University until last year, is considered a promising young politician with solid experience despite his youth, having served as the ‘general campaign leader’ during the 20th presidential election.

During the 20th presidential election, he watched the broadcasts until the counting was completely finished and was so passionate that he secretly shed tears over the Democratic Party’s defeat.

Upon becoming a city council member, Lee plans to engage in politics that directly connects with residents. He intends to approach residents with youth and vigor, combined with courtesy and passion.

He stated, “Unlike some politicians who only make promises verbally and ignore responsibilities after being elected, I will use my untainted purity and the experience I have learned uprightly to create a new tomorrow for Gwangju. Politics is about values, not numbers. I will pursue politics that changes my life, not complicated indicators and statistics that are not felt in daily life, politics that helps me.”

▲ ‘As his name suggests’ the longest-serving council member nationwide, elected official Kang Pilgu

Kang Pilgu was successfully elected for the 9th term as a member of Yeonggwang County Council. He secured 3,507 votes, ranking second in the Yeonggwang County A electoral district, which elects four members.

Together with elected official Lee Jaegap of Andong City Council, he achieved the record of the longest-serving council member nationwide with nine terms. Kang has served in the same constituency since the opening of local councils in 1991.

Generally, after serving several terms as a county council member, politicians run for provincial council or county head, but Kang has walked only one path.

During his eight terms, he served three times as chairman of Yeonggwang County Council, as chairman of the Jeollanam-do City and County Council Chairpersons Association, and as chairman of the National Association of City, County, and District Council Chairpersons.

Kang said, “As my name suggests, I will ‘Pil’ (certainly) ‘Gu’ (choose) to serve the region.”

▲ ‘Blocking long-term independent rule’ elected official Kim Hanjong, Jangseong County Governor

Kim Hanjong ran as a Democratic Party candidate for governor of Jangseong County, Jeonnam. Although Jeonnam is generally a stronghold of the Democratic Party, Jangseong was a tough battle as incumbent governor Yoo Duseok and his wife, both independents, had served a combined four terms.

However, Kim won with 13,967 votes, defeating Yoo who received 11,881 votes, and will lead Jangseong County administration.

Kim, a three-term Jeonnam Provincial Council member, is a repeat candidate who challenged the Jangseong governorship in 2007. After Yoo, elected in 2006, was disqualified due to violation of the Public Official Election Act, Kim ran in the 2007 by-election but lost to Yoo’s wife, candidate Lee Cheong.

Afterwards, Yoo re-entered the county office in 2014 and succeeded in re-election, classifying the area as an independent stronghold.

Kim has served as chairman of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, chairman of the 7th Jeonnam Provincial Council Budget and Accounts Committee, and chairman of the 9th Jeonnam Provincial Council Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment Committee.

In 2020, he was also elected as chairman of the National Association of City and Provincial Council Chairpersons for the first time since the opening of the Jeonnam Provincial Council.

He said, “I will build road and transportation infrastructure befitting the status of Jangseong County, the gateway to Jeonnam, and specialize its culture and food containing Jangseong’s identity and value to develop it into a nationally representative tourist resource.”

▲ ‘Tie resolved by seniority’ elected official Kim Gangjeong

Kim Gangjeong ran as a Democratic Party candidate in the Naju City Ma electoral district, which elects four city council members. The counting results showed he received 1,476 votes, tying with fellow Democratic candidate Kim Myeongseon.

The election commission conducted a recount but the tie remained. After explaining the situation to both candidates, under the current Public Official Election Act, the older candidate Kim was ranked higher and placed 4th.

Candidate Kim Myeongseon finished 5th and lost. Kim Gangjeong is 60 years old, and Kim Myeongseon is 44.

Kim promised to take the lead in resolving chronic local complaints in Naju, such as foul odors.

He pledged to investigate the causes of odor by inspecting facilities like compost factories.

▲ ‘Ending 12 years of KTU dominance’ elected official Lee Jeongseon

Lee Jeongseon, elected superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, ended the dominance of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) in the Gwangju region.

After narrowly losing in the previous Gwangju superintendent election, Lee ran again this time and won with 34.91% (154,068 votes), surpassing second-place candidate Park Hyeja (22.72%) and other candidates Jeong Seonghong, Lee Jeongjae, and Kang Dongwan, taking responsibility for Gwangju education for the next four years.

Since 2010, Superintendent Jang Huiguk served three consecutive terms, marking the heyday of KTU in Gwangju.

However, with the defeat of former KTU-affiliated candidate Jeong Seonghong in this election and Lee’s victory, the era of KTU dominance was halted.

Various statistics showed declining student CSAT scores, and criticism arose that Gwangju education, which had promoted itself as a meritocratic education, had faded.

Although KTU-affiliated candidates Jeong Seonghong and Kim Seonho unified their candidacies, it was insufficient.

Lee was born in 1959 in Suncheon, Jeonnam, graduated from Maesan High School in Suncheon, and earned a bachelor's and master's degree in education from Hanyang University. He obtained a Ph.D. in education from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, and has taught students as a professor at Gwangju National University of Education since 1996. He served as a member of the Rural Education Development Committee under the Kim Dae-jung administration and as an advisory member of the Education Innovation Committee under the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

He was selected as the ‘most father-like professor’ by students at Gwangju National University of Education and served as president of the National Council of Presidents of Teacher Training Universities.

While working as a professor, he drove an Avante car and saved money to donate scholarships and support socially vulnerable groups, earning the nickname ‘Avante Professor.’