"Jungchi 1beonji" Jongno Resurgence?... Speculation of Ruling and Opposition Candidates Ahead of General Election

Hataekyung "I will reclaim Jongno"... Incumbent is Choe Jaehyung
Opposition mentions Im Jongseok, Kwak Sangeon, etc. for 'Jongno recapture'

With next year's general election approaching, Jongno, Seoul, known as the political hotspot, has once again become the center of attention. Although it has been evaluated as having lost its political symbolism due to population decline and the presidential office's relocation to Yongsan, a fierce competition among leading candidates is already underway as senior figures from both ruling and opposition parties have declared their candidacies.

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party who gained attention for declaring his candidacy in a difficult district, recently expressed his intention to run in Jongno. On the 1st, Ha appeared on SBS Radio and said, "There really is no countermeasure for the metropolitan area election," adding, "Since Jongno is the number one political district, I considered it first. 'Is there any alternative? There is no suitable alternative, then I should run, I should save Jongno.' It was a decision made from this awareness of the problem."

Ha claimed, "The party says Jongno is not a difficult district, but we lost by about 20% in the last general election."

The People Power Party expressed reluctance, calling it a "family quarrel," since Jongno is currently the constituency of Choi Jae-hyung, a member of the People Power Party. Although former National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun and former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon were elected three times consecutively as Democratic candidates, Choi was elected in a by-election held alongside last March's presidential election following Lee's resignation from his parliamentary seat. At that time, the Democratic Party did not field candidates in Jongno, as well as in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, and Sangdang, Cheongju, as part of political reform.

Choi also expressed his determination to defend his constituency, stating, "In the current situation, there is no one better than me to protect Jongno."

The city center viewed from Sinmunno, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 3rd of last month. Photo by Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Additionally, there are rumors of Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, star ministers of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, running in Jongno. However, Minister Won has already hinted at running in Incheon Gyeyang-eul, the constituency of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party.

Former party leader Lee Jun-seok, who is planning to establish a new party, also stated, "If a new party is promoted, it is true that there are already people who want to run in Jongno." Considering Jongno's symbolic significance, there is a high possibility that a heavyweight figure will run, and some speculate that former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min might run in Jongno.

Movements to recapture Jongno are also emerging within the opposition. Potential candidates include lawyer Kwak Sang-eon, the late former President Roh Moo-hyun's son-in-law and Jongno district chairman, Lee Kwang-jae, Secretary-General of the National Assembly, and former five-term lawmaker Lee Jong-gul.

There are also rumors about former presidential chief of staff Lim Jong-seok running in Jongno. On the 30th, Lim said on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus," "This is an issue that requires consultation with the party, so it is not yet confirmed, but I am thinking about Seoul," adding, "I am almost certain that next year's general election will be held in an atmosphere overwhelmingly aimed at judging the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." Lim's constituency until the 18th National Assembly was Seongdong-gu Eul, where his alma mater Hanyang University is located.