[Political X-File] The Conservative Political Stronghold in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, West Sea 'Gapbigocha'

20. Ganghwado Brings Victory News to Liberty Korea Party
Capital Region Election, Most Advantageous Area for Conservative Parties
Characteristics Facing Military Demarcation Line, Sensitive to Security Issues

Editor's Note‘Political X-File’ is a series project that delivers ‘unprecedented stories’ recorded in the election results and incidents of Korean politics.

“Ganghwa was called Gapbigocha (甲比古次).”

Ganghwa-gun was said to have been called Gapbigocha in ancient times. According to Ganghwa-gun, during the early Goryeo period, it was called Yeolguheon (冽口縣), but during the Mongol invasion, when King Gojong moved the capital, it was called Gangdo (江都). From the late Goryeo period during King Uwang’s reign, it has been called Ganghwa.

Ganghwa-gun holds an important position historically and geopolitically. Located at the northwestern tip of the Republic of Korea, Ganghwa is close to China and faces North Korea across the Han River. Although Ganghwa-gun is currently incorporated into Incheon Metropolitan City, it originally belonged to Gyeonggi-do.

The inclusion of Ganghwa-gun into Incheon Metropolitan City, rather than Gyeonggi-do, occurred in 1995, which is not very long ago. Ganghwa Island faces Gimpo-gun. It is connected to the mainland by bridges such as Ganghwa Bridge and Ganghwa Chojidae Bridge, allowing free vehicle movement.

Tourist spots such as Dongmak Beach, Manisan Mountain, and Oepo-ri Ferry Terminal are abundant. Ganghwa Island is one of the closest places where Seoul citizens can experience the scent of the island and the sea. In fact, on weekends or holidays, roads leading to Ganghwa Island are congested with heavy traffic.

Politically, Ganghwa-gun draws attention because it is one of the strongholds of conservative politics in the metropolitan area. Even when conservative politics face crises, the voting sentiment in Ganghwa-gun remains steadfast.

A representative example is the 7th nationwide simultaneous local elections in 2018. At that time, the Democratic Party of Korea achieved a landslide victory against the Liberty Korea Party. Especially in the metropolitan area, they won overwhelmingly, almost sweeping the board. Candidates under the Liberty Korea Party banner lost without much effort.

Incheon Metropolitan City was no exception. In the elections for Bupyeong-gu and Gyeyang-gu district heads, Democratic Party candidates won with nearly 70% of the vote. Most other local government head elections in Incheon were also won by the Democratic Party, with a dominant vote share of 50-60%.

A North Korean defector who escaped in 2017 is recently presumed to have returned to North Korea. On the morning of July 27, 2020, the area around Kaepung County, Hwanghaebuk-do, North Korea, viewed from Yangsa-myeon, Ganghwa Island, is calm.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In Incheon, only one place elected a candidate from a different party. That place was Ganghwa-gun. Liberty Korea Party candidate Yoo Cheon-ho was elected with 43.2% of the vote. Democratic Party candidate Han Yeon-hee came in third with 26.6%. The second place was taken by independent candidate Lee Sang-bok, who received 30.2% of the vote.

Since Ganghwa-gun used to belong to Gyeonggi-do, one might wonder if it was influenced by Gyeonggi-do’s voting sentiment. However, it is difficult to see it that way because the Gimpo mayoral election, which faces Ganghwa-gun, was also won overwhelmingly by the Democratic Party candidate with 65.8% of the vote.

While both Gimpo and Incheon city struggled for the Liberty Korea Party, Ganghwa-gun firmly supported conservative politics. In the 2018 Ganghwa-gun head election, the Liberty Korea Party held an advantage in all areas, including Ganghwa-eup, which has the largest number of voters.

What distinguishes Ganghwa-gun from other areas in Incheon is its position at the forefront of national security. Although part of Ongjin-gun also faces North Korea, it is only a portion. Due to its geopolitical location, military units and facilities are scattered throughout Ganghwa-gun.

Ganghwado Sunset

Unlike other areas in Incheon, the possibility of Ganghwa-gun transforming into an apartment-dense area is low. Residents of Ganghwa-gun sustain their livelihoods mainly through fishing, agriculture, and tourism. Compared to other areas in Incheon, the proportion of middle-aged and older residents is inevitably higher than that of younger generations.

These characteristics of Ganghwa-gun are factors that show a different voting sentiment from other parts of Incheon. From the Democratic Party’s perspective, it is not easy to gain an advantage in Ganghwa-gun unless the election environment is quite favorable.

On the other hand, from the People Power Party’s perspective, it is hard to imagine losing to the Democratic Party in Ganghwa-gun except in special circumstances. If one were to pick the only place in the metropolitan area?including Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do?where the probability of winning a basic local government head election is high, Ganghwa-gun would likely be that place.

Ganghwa Island, the fourth largest island in the Republic of Korea, once called Gapbigocha in ancient times. How long will the steadfast voting sentiment of this gateway to the West Sea continue? The general election next April, as well as subsequent elections in Incheon, will be interesting points to watch.