[Political X-File] Jongno Holding Cheong... Is It the Political Hotspot or a Tough District for the Democratic Party?

(46) The Center of Attention in Every General Election, Jongno District
Hwang Kyo-ahn and Ha Tae-kyung Declare Running in Tough Districts and Choose Jongno
Conservative Parties Lead with 6 Wins and 3 Losses in Jongno General Elections

Editor's Note"Political X-Files" is a serialized project that delivers "unprecedented stories" recorded in the election results and incidents of Korean politics.

“I will run in a tough district in the metropolitan area in the general election.”

On January 3, 2020, Hwang Kyo-ahn, then leader of the Liberty Korea Party (predecessor of the People Power Party), declared that he would run in a tough district in the 21st general election. Various speculations followed about which metropolitan tough district Hwang was referring to. Ultimately, the metropolitan tough district he chose was Jongno, Seoul.

Recently, Ha Tae-kyung, a three-term lawmaker from Busan and member of the People Power Party, declared his intention to run in a tough district and expressed his intention to run in Jongno, Seoul, showing a similar scene. How should we view the fact that leading conservative politicians declare their candidacy in tough metropolitan districts and then throw their hats into the ring in Jongno?

Jongno is always at the center of attention during general elections. It is often pointed out as a target for tough district candidacy, and questions arise as to why Jongno is considered a tough district. In fact, when Hwang Kyo-ahn declared his candidacy for Jongno in 2020, there were doubts within the party, with people asking, “Is Jongno really a tough district?”

The representative epithet symbolizing Jongno in elections is not so much "tough district" but rather "the number one political district." Because the Blue House was located in Jongno, Seoul, it is also called the number one political district.

Jongno houses not only the Blue House but also the Government Complex Seoul. In the past, the president’s office, residence, and the prime minister’s residence were all located in Jongno. The status of the Jongno lawmaker is not just one out of 300. Politicians dreaming of the presidency often consider running for the Jongno seat at least once.

Politicians who served as Jongno lawmakers, such as Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak, eventually rose to the presidency of the Republic of Korea. However, the symbolic status of Jongno as the number one political district has weakened compared to before. This is because the presidential office moved from Jongno to Yongsan, diminishing the Blue House’s symbolic significance. Now, both the presidential office and residence are located in Yongsan.

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, is talking with Floor Leader Yoon Jae-ok during the plenary session held at the National Assembly on May 30. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The long-standing political belief that a Jongno lawmaker becomes president is also far from reality. The last time a politician from Jongno was elected president was in 2007, 16 years ago. Since then, although Jongno lawmakers have continued to be elected, none have achieved the presidency.

There is also the Government Complex Seoul. Although its status has weakened compared to the past, the perception of Jongno lawmakers remains different from that of other lawmakers. This is why speculation about presidential candidate-level politicians running in Jongno continues ahead of the 22nd general election in April next year.

Then, how accurate is the other epithet of Jongno as a tough district? Should Jongno really be considered a tough district for conservative parties? Checking the winners from the 13th general election in 1988, when Jongno began electing its own lawmaker, through the 21st general election in 2020, may clarify this question.

In the 13th general election, Lee Jong-chan of the Democratic Justice Party was elected, and in the 14th general election, Lee Jong-chan of the Democratic Liberal Party was elected. In the 15th general election, Lee Myung-bak of the New Korea Party was elected, and in the 16th general election, Jeong In-bong of the Grand National Party was elected. In the 17th general election, Park Jin of the Grand National Party was elected, and in the 18th general election, Park Jin of the Grand National Party was re-elected.

From 1988 to 2008, conservative parties, predecessors of the People Power Party, won all the elections in Jongno.

Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

However, in the 19th general election, Jeong Se-gyun of the Democratic United Party was elected; in the 20th general election, Jeong Se-gyun of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected; and in the 21st general election, Lee Nak-yeon of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected. In the last three general elections, candidates affiliated with the Democratic Party have consecutively won.

So, what is the overall record? Since 1988, conservative parties have won 6 times and lost 3 times in Jongno general elections.

Another point to note is that Democratic Party winners such as Jeong Se-gyun and Lee Nak-yeon are presidential candidate-level politicians with rich government experience, including serving as prime ministers. When the Democratic Party put forward their best cards in Jongno, they were able to win against conservative parties.

If the Democratic Party again fields presidential candidate-level politicians in next year’s general election, the People Power Party may face difficulties in Jongno, but how the matchups will be arranged remains to be seen.

What about recent election results? The People Power Party has good memories from major recent elections held in Jongno. In last March’s presidential election, Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party won with 50.6%, and in the June local elections, Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party won a landslide victory with 59.1% of the vote.

Looking back at Jongno’s election history, it is questionable whether it can be definitively called a tough district for conservative parties.