[Politics That Day] Gangdong-gu Mayor Who Frightened MB Government in By-Election

2008 June 4 Seoul Gangdong-gu Mayor By-election
Grand National Party's Unexpected Result in 'Gangnam 4 Districts'
Democratic Party Strikes Back in Seoul After April General Election Landslide

Editor's Note‘On That Day in Politics’ is a series that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

By-elections have distinct characteristics. First of all, voter turnout tends to be low. This characteristic tends to increase the electoral influence of middle-aged and older voters rather than the younger generation, who generally have lower participation rates. This is also why conservative parties, which enjoy relatively higher support among middle-aged voters, tend to perform strongly in by-elections.

At one point, the myth of ‘by-elections = victory for conservative party candidates’ was established. If a party loses in such a favorable environment, the shock is inevitably greater. It feels like running a 100-meter race from a far-ahead starting line only to be overtaken by a competitor coming from behind.

What were the results of the Seoul district mayor by-election held in the first year of the Lee Myung-bak administration?

From February 2008, right after the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak government, until the April 18th National Assembly election, the ruling party enjoyed a dominant atmosphere. The Grand National Party (GNP) achieved a landslide victory. It secured 153 seats, about twice as many as the 81 seats won by the main opposition party at the time, the United Democratic Party.

On June 5, 2018, voters are listening intently at a concentrated campaign rally of a Seoul mayoral candidate held at Hwagok Station in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

An era where the Grand National Party held both presidential and parliamentary power.

However, before the joy of the April general election had even faded, the ruling party suffered a blow in the June 4th by-election. The Gangdong District mayor election, part of the so-called ‘Gangnam’s four districts,’ was especially shocking.

In the 2006 simultaneous local elections, the Grand National Party swept all 25 district mayor elections in Seoul. While there have been cases of a particular party winning overwhelmingly in Seoul, 2006 was special. It was the first and last time that one party won all Seoul district mayor elections.

The Gangdong District mayor election was one the GNP could not afford to lose. No matter how much public sentiment fluctuated, it was an election that had to be defended at all costs. The June 4, 2008 Gangdong District mayor election was the only local government head election held in Seoul on that day.

At the time, the United Democratic Party tried to reverse the unfavorable public opinion trend in Seoul. In the April 2008 general election, the GNP had swept 40 out of 48 seats allocated to Seoul.

Since the by-election was held just two months later, the GNP’s victory seemed inevitable, and the Democratic Party faced a tough challenge. But the expectations were proven wrong.

United Democratic Party candidate Lee Hae-sik won with 53.1% of the vote, a majority. The GNP candidate Park Myung-hyun, his competitor, received only 39.4%. Losing with a vote share in the 30% range prompted the GNP side to respond with “it’s devastating.”

Despite fielding a candidate who had served as the head of the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Planning Team and had close ties to then-President Lee Myung-bak, the result was a painful defeat to the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party’s victory was also due to nominating a competitive candidate. Lee Hae-sik, a politician with a solid local base, having served as a Gangdong District council member, demonstrated his strength in this election. However, the fact remains that the GNP lost the Gangdong District mayor seat. In fact, the June 4 by-election ended in a complete defeat for the GNP not only in Seoul but nationwide.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Hae-sik is delivering a speech opposing a bill during the National Assembly plenary session on the afternoon of August 4, 2020.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The first half of 2008 saw the ruling party gain momentum from the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak government and the sweeping victory in the 18th National Assembly election. However, the ‘mad cow disease crisis’ dealt a direct blow, shaking public sentiment.

The ruling party failed to offer solutions to soothe the turbulent public mood. Their inability to flexibly respond to changes in public opinion was due to misreading the political landscape. Misreading public sentiment comes back like a boomerang.

The saying that politics is a living organism is not without reason. Public sentiment may seem to flow like a mighty river, but within it are countless whirlpools and shifts in currents. To navigate politics smoothly, one must understand and respond to these flows, but the ruling party at the time showed a different attitude.

The voter turnout for the Seoul Gangdong District mayor election was only 23.4%.

The June 4, 2008 by-election result, which broke the formula of ‘low turnout = conservative party victory,’ left many political lessons. This is why the June 4, 2008 by-election is etched in political history among all by-elections.