[General Election Battleground] ① War of the Stars 'Mapo-gap'... Incumbent No Woong-rae's Position 'Under Watch'

Three Ruling Coalition Lawmakers (Lee Yong-ho, Cho Jung-hoon, Choi Seung-jae) Declare Candidacy
Attention on Voter Sentiment Shift Amid Redevelopment in Opposition-Strong Areas
No Woong-rae Seeks Re-election While Kim Bin, Oh Seong-gyu, Lee Ji-soo, Lee Eun-hee Enter Race

"Is Assemblyman No Woong-rae running in next year's election as well?"

On the 25th, Shin (72), whom I met in Dohwa-dong, Mapo-gu, asked the reporter a question when the topic of next year's general election came up. The Seoul Mapo-gap National Assembly district is attracting nationwide attention as many incumbent lawmakers have expressed their intention to run. Assemblyman No Woong-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea has served four terms in this district. Before him, his late father, former Assemblyman No Seung-hwan, served as a member of the National Assembly and district mayor in Mapo, making the question of whether No Woong-rae will run in next year's general election the biggest concern among local natives.

Gyeongui Line Forest Trail near Gongdeok Station, Mapo-gu. Photo by Naju Seok

Assemblyman No is currently on trial for allegations of accepting illegal funds. Because of this, whether he will receive the Democratic Party's nomination remains uncertain. Shin said, "Whether Assemblyman No Woong-rae runs will greatly influence my judgment," but added, "I will first watch who is decided as the candidate and then decide whom to support." He also mentioned, "These days, political discussions are banned even at senior centers," explaining, "Whenever such topics come up, fights break out and feelings get hurt."

The sensitivity around political and election discussions is closely related to the local electorate.

This area is considered a swing vote district. Although the Democratic Party candidate won consecutively in the 19th to 21st National Assembly elections and the district mayor position was swept by the Democratic Party from the 5th to 7th terms, the People Power Party achieved a landslide victory with double-digit percentage points in last year's presidential and local elections.

In particular, this district has undergone large-scale redevelopment, such as the Ahyeon New Town development, leading to the construction of high-priced apartments and a significant change in the resident composition. Especially after the sharp rise in housing prices in the Mayongseong area (Mapo-gu, Yongsan-gu, Seongdong-gu), public sentiment has been greatly shaken due to real estate-related taxes and other factors. Kim (60), who was born and has lived continuously in Yeomni-dong, Mapo-gu, predicted, "Mapo has traditionally been a stronghold for the Democratic Party, but the residents have changed significantly, so next year's general election could be different from before."

Choi Seung-jae, a member of the People Power Party, has a local office near Daehung Station. Interior construction is underway at the local office of Jo Jeong-hoon, a member of the Transition Korea party, in the building to the left. Photo by Naju-seok

Lee (33), whom I met on the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, said, "My family has always voted for the Democratic Party since my parents, but I supported President Yoon in the last presidential election," adding, "I haven't decided who to vote for in the next election yet." However, there were also people who said they would vote for the Democratic Party due to dissatisfaction with the current government. Moon (50), whom I met in Daeheung-dong, said, "When I watch the news, the current government shows behavior that doesn't make sense," and added, "I will have to see the candidates, but for now, I will vote for the Democratic Party candidate."

However, the overall local sentiment was calm. Many citizens said, "I don't know who is running," or "I'm not interested," or "Isn't the election still far away?"

# Who is challenging in the Mapo-gap district?

The People Power Party currently has no party branch chairman in Mapo-gap. The party branch chairmanship contest was between Lee Yong-ho (Jeonbuk Namwon·Imsil·Sunchang), a lawmaker from the Honam region, and Choi Seung-jae (proportional representation), who has represented small business owners, but the district is currently classified as a suspended area.

Jo Jung-hoon, a member of the Transition Korea party who recently declared a merger with the People Power Party, has also expressed his intention to run in Mapo-gap, leading political circles to view it as a three-way race within the ruling party. Choi Seung-jae held an opening ceremony and set up an office near Daeheung Station last September, and Jo Jung-hoon is preparing an office in the adjacent building. However, Lee Yong-ho, whose constituency includes Namwon, is meeting local residents without an office.

As the competition intensified, some controversies arose. Before last month's Chuseok holiday, there was a 'war' over banners in this area. With many hopeful candidates flooding the district, holiday greeting banners were hung everywhere, but the district office proactively removed many of them. After the cleanup, only the incumbent Assemblyman No Woong-rae and Assemblyman Jo Jung-hoon’s banners remained. This sparked a heated debate in local political circles over the intentions of the Mapo District Office.

The Mapo District Office's banner cleanup has legal grounds. According to current law, only party leaders or party branch chairpersons can put up party banners. The only individuals meeting this criterion are Assemblyman No Woong-rae, the Democratic Party branch chairman, and Jo Jung-hoon, the leader of Transition Korea. Although it has been customary to allow challengers' banners during holidays, this time was different. Even at local events, only party branch chairpersons are given the opportunity to give congratulatory speeches, which has caused complaints from politicians who are not branch chairpersons.

The Democratic Party's situation is also complicated. Incumbent Assemblyman No Woong-rae has strongly expressed his intention to run in the general election. In a phone interview with Asia Economy, No said, "Anyone who wants to serve in Mapo, come and compete with me." Regarding the ongoing trial, he said, "They say I accepted illegal funds, but is it possible that the person who gave the money is not even indicted? The essence of this case is that the prosecution abused its right to prosecute." He added, "I will reveal the truth in court, and if given another chance to work, I will make it my mission to correct the prosecution."

An interesting point in the Mapo-gap district is that many of the expected candidates from both ruling and opposition parties were recruited by the Democratic Party in 2016. Former Blue House administrator Kim Bin, former Seoul Mayor’s Secretary Oh Seong-gyu, former Blue House secretary Lee Ji-su, and Assemblyman Jo Jung-hoon were all recruited by then-Democratic Party leader Moon Jae-in and then-Democratic Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in ahead of the 20th general election. Because of this, they even remember how many times their opponents were recruited.

Kim Bin, who narrowly lost to Assemblyman No Woong-rae in the party primary during the 20th general election, has been working hard in the Mapo-gap area for the past five years. Thanks to this, Kim has strong ties within the local community. Oh Seong-gyu, who said he has "lived only in Mapo for 21 years," introduced that he has been preparing for the election since February this year. Oh is also the Seoul regional standing committee member of the Democratic Innovation Council, a pro-Moon Jae-in reform organization.

Lee Ji-su, an expert in economic democratization and a U.S. lawyer, recently threw her hat into the ring. Lee played a key role in making former President Moon Jae-in the cover model of the Asia edition of Time magazine during the 19th presidential election and is praised for her international network and overseas communication skills. Former Blue House Second Secretariat Chief Lee Eun-hee is also preparing to run. Lee introduced herself to reporters recently, saying, "In Mapo, my second hometown, I have been involved in lifestyle politics and grassroots democracy through co-parenting, consumer cooperatives, parent movements, and apartment community movements."

Meanwhile, Democratic Party Assemblyman Shin Hyun-young, who is known to be considering running in Mapo-gap, was cautious about the candidacy, saying, "I am keeping all possibilities open and actively working." Shin said, "I believe that if I play a role in health and medical fields over the past four years, more opportunities will open up, so I have been diligently doing my assigned work. There are still National Assembly audits for the Women and Family Committee, so I am focusing on that. I think the time to make a decision will come as the general election approaches." Hong Seong-moon, Democratic Party Mapo-gap vice chairman (former Democratic Peace Party spokesperson), is also weighing a run.