[General Election Battleground] ④ In the Heart of the 'Mega City' Gimpo... Voter Sentiment Already Shifting

"Is it realistically possible?" counter-question
Solving traffic hell is the top priority
"Won't vote based on party... will consider candidates and policies"

"It sounds ideal, but is it realistically possible?"

Yoon Mo (56), who moved to Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do this year, recently questioned the political issue of 'Gimpo City's incorporation into Seoul.' He expressed concerns that it might just be another 'empty election promise' repeated every election season. He said, "Every election, they promise to do something, but I wish they would first keep their old promises to solve traffic problems," adding, "Whether it's the Democratic Party or the People Power Party, please stop fighting and just do your job properly."

With the 22nd National Assembly general election five months away, the 'Mega City card' brought up by the People Power Party has stirred the voting sentiment in Gimpo. While some hope for incorporation into Seoul with the expectation that Gimpo City could become 'Gimpo-gu, Seoul,' there is also a mixed demand to first address the practical solution of extending Subway Line 5 to alleviate traffic congestion, intensifying the confusion.

On the 16th, at the intersection near Unyang Station in Gimpo City, Park Sang-hyuk, the current Democratic Party lawmaker, and Hong Cheol-ho, the People Power Party's district committee chairman, began a banner competition over the issues of 'Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul' and the 'extension of Line 5.'

◆Gimpo=Stronghold of the Democratic Party, Will the Tradition Break?

Gimpo City began to be recognized as a stronghold of the Democratic Party starting from the 20th general election when the electoral district was divided into 'Gimpo-si Gap' and 'Gimpo-si Eul' based on the population cap. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th general elections, when Gimpo had only one seat, Yoo Jeong-bok, former mayor of Gimpo and affiliated with the Grand National Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), was consecutively elected as the Incheon mayor. After Yoo ran for Incheon mayor and left the seat vacant, Hong Cheol-ho, the party committee chairman of the same party, succeeded him.

However, in the 20th general election, held after the division into Gap and Eul, the ruling and opposition parties each won one district. Kim Du-gwan of the Democratic Party was elected in Gimpo-si Gap, and Hong Cheol-ho of the People Power Party was elected in Gimpo-si Eul. In the 21st general election, the Democratic Party swept both seats. Kim Ju-young, who first ran for the gold badge in Gimpo-si Gap, was elected with 52.88% of the vote, and in Gimpo-si Eul, political newcomer Park Sang-hyuk won 53.83% of the vote, taking the seat from the incumbent Hong Cheol-ho of the People Power Party at the time.

The People Power Party's plan to incorporate Gimpo City into Seoul ahead of next year's general election is interpreted as a judgment that Gimpo is not a traditional Democratic Party stronghold. In fact, Gimpo residents are demanding concrete answers to various policies such as waste landfill issues, the extension of Subway Line 5, and the completion of GTX-D, rather than simply expressing 'for or against' opinions on Seoul incorporation.

◆"Solve the Traffic Hell First" in Unison... "Gimpo Residents Are Wise, Will Vote Based on Practical Benefits"

On the 16th, when the reporter visited Gimpo City, the People Power Party coincidentally submitted the 'Special Act on the Change of Jurisdictional Areas between Gyeonggi-do and Seoul Special City' to the National Assembly. The special law proposes incorporating Gimpo City into Seoul's jurisdiction and establishing Gimpo-gu. If the bill passes the National Assembly, Gimpo will be incorporated into Seoul starting January 1, 2025. However, Gimpo residents unanimously agreed that 'solving traffic problems comes first.'

On the 16th, although the afternoon was a relatively quiet time when the reporter moved to Gimpo, both the up and down lines were already fully seated with long queues waiting to board. The Gimpo Goldline (GimGolla) trains operate with only two cars, making it notoriously known as the "hell train" during rush hours.

Han Mo (63), whom the reporter met in Sau-dong, included in Gimpo-si Gap, said, "I moved from Seoul to Gimpo three years ago, and the traffic problem is really serious." He clicked his tongue, saying, "Last winter when it snowed, I couldn't bear to take the subway (Gimpo Gold Line), so I called a taxi, but even the taxi refused because the route through Gimpo was bad." The Gimpo Gold Line, nicknamed 'Gimgolla,' operates with two-car trains. During the demand survey, the population increase in the new Gimpo city was not considered, resulting in congestion rates reaching up to 280% during rush hours. Although the afternoon when the reporter traveled was relatively quiet, both the up and down lines already had long queues waiting to board, and the trains were packed without any seats available.

Song Mo (48), who runs a butcher shop in Sau-dong, complained, "Is that a bus or a subway?" Song said, "There aren't many stations, and it takes more than 8 minutes between each stop. The escalators are too steep, so if elderly people fall, it would be a big problem," adding, "It was poorly constructed from the start. In next year's general election, I will judge candidates and policies without blindly supporting any party depending on the region."

An escalator inside Sau (Gimpo City Hall) Station, one of the Gimpo Goldline stations. It is steep and narrow, raising concerns about the risk of falls for the elderly and disabled.

Residents met in Unyang-dong, part of Gimpo-si Eul, strongly expressed that they do not support political parties simply based on the dichotomy of 'Seoul incorporation vs. Line 5 extension.'

A real estate agent, Lee Mo (45), located in the apartment-dense area of Unyang-dong, said, "I will look at the candidate rather than the party," adding, "Most residents here think that way." He said, "Currently, it is a Democratic Party district, but before that, it was a People Power Party district," and added, "Gimpo residents are wise. They balance their votes based on practical benefits." He further predicted, "Right now, it's ambiguous to look at parties. Seoul incorporation is just an election gimmick to attract attention, and even if the special law is submitted, later they might say, 'The Democratic Party prevented its passage.' Then it will become an issue brought up every election." Regarding the expectation of land price increases if incorporated into Seoul, he questioned, "It might rise a little because it was undervalued, but since it will just become the outskirts of Seoul, there's not much interest. The market is sluggish nationwide; why would Gimpo matter?"

Sim Mo (64), who runs a side dish store, said, "Politics is too low quality." He criticized, "We barely got out of the COVID-19 situation, but looking at what both parties are doing, none of it is satisfactory," adding, "It seems like they will ruin things by fighting." He said, "Many of my customers are strong Democratic Party supporters," and "Those people criticize the People Power Party unconditionally, but young housewives view Seoul incorporation positively because of their children's education, so it seems to be a 5:5 split."

On the 16th in Sau-dong, Gimpo City, Kim Ju-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker, displayed a banner stating "Democratic Party's official stance on the exemption of preliminary feasibility study for Line 5," while Park Jin-ho, the People Power Party's district committee chairman, displayed a banner stating "Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to announce Line 5 and GTX-D routes in December."

◆Rivalry Between Ruling and Opposition Candidates: "Solve Traffic Problems" vs. "Seoul Incorporation"

In Gimpo-si Gap, incumbent Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Ju-young is expected to face off against People Power Party committee chairman Park Jin-ho in next year's general election. Kim has put up banners in the district stating 'Democratic Party's official adoption of the Line 5 preliminary feasibility exemption bill,' emphasizing, "Only the People Power Party needs to agree." Conversely, Park Jin-ho counters with 'Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to announce Line 5 and GTX-D routes in December.'

In Gimpo-si Eul, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk and People Power Party committee chairman Hong Cheol-ho have already entered the election competition. Park has posted the catchphrase 'Traffic comes first' around the area including Unyang Station intersection, while Hong promotes 'Official party policy to incorporate into Seoul.' The contest between Park, seeking re-election, and Hong, aiming to reclaim the district, is expected to be fierce. However, since candidate registration (starting December 12) has not yet begun in both Gap and Eul districts, some prospective candidates are still deliberating their participation, so the full-fledged competition of candidates and policies is likely to take place after a month.