[General Election Battleground] Incheon Region Divided by Only 171 Votes... The Time of Destiny Returns

③Incheon-Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul
Decided by the Smallest Margin Nationwide in the 21st General Election
Fierce Competition from Ruling and Opposition Party Nominations

Editor's NoteThe 22nd general election on April 10 next year is just over six months away. We explore the battlegrounds between the ruling and opposition parties across major regions nationwide to gauge the constituency landscape. Focusing on areas where the parties had close contests, where key candidates are running, or where internal party competition is fierce, we analyze the country region by region.

Incheon Metropolitan City, allocated 13 seats (based on the 21st general election), is a crucial battleground where neither the ruling nor opposition party can afford to concede. This is due to Incheon's political characteristics, which have served as a barometer of public sentiment in general elections. Often, the side that wins in Incheon gains momentum in the overall election outcome.

The hottest battleground in Incheon is expected to be the Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul constituency. In the 2020 21st general election, Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul was the district with the narrowest margin of victory nationwide among 253 constituencies, decided by only 171 votes.

An interesting point is that the United Future Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) fielded former Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo as a candidate, who came in third with 15.57% of the vote. Candidate Ahn received 17,843 votes.

People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun is asking questions about the economic sector during the National Assembly plenary session held on the afternoon of June 13. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The winner of the fiercely contested Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul constituency was Yoon Sang-hyun, who ran as an independent candidate (currently a People Power Party member), securing 40.59% of the vote. He was chosen by 46,493 voters.

The Democratic Party nominated Nam Young-hee, who received 40.44% (46,322 votes) but lost. The vote difference between Yoon Sang-hyun and Nam Young-hee was only 171 votes. Although there were several close losers in the last general election, the most regrettable result came from the Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul constituency.

Nam Young-hee, who swallowed her frustration in the last general election, is preparing for a rematch in the 2024 general election. In Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul, the Democratic Party is considering candidates including Nam Young-hee, the local party chair, former Incheon Nam-gu Mayor Park Woo-seop, and former Incheon Michuhol-gu Mayor Kim Jeong-sik.

On the People Power Party side, incumbent lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun and former Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo are expected to clash again for the ruling party's nomination.

Since both parties have candidates with prior election experience or strong performances waiting to run, Dong-gu·Michuhol-gu Eul is emerging once again as a key constituency following the last general election.

Depending on the party nomination situation, leading candidates may choose to run as independents. If that happens, the election could evolve into a complex contest rather than a straightforward one-on-one battle between the ruling and opposition parties.