[General Election Battleground]⑨ Divided 'Dongtan Voter Sentiment'... Fierce Contest Among Opposition Parties

'Active Premium' Lee Won-wook Emphasizes Experience and Achievements
'Real Myungdae Battle' Democratic Party Deploys 8 Candidates Including Jin Seok-beom
Electoral District Variables... Intense Scramble Over Nomination and Primary

The electoral sentiment in Dongtan New Town, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is stirring. This is because three-term lawmaker Lee Won-wook left the Democratic Party and moved to the 'third zone.' There is a mood of deliberation over whether to give votes to the new third-zone party or continue supporting the Democratic Party. Especially since the electoral district is likely to be divided into 'Hwaseong-jeong,' prospective candidates are also seen calculating complex strategies. Residents cited 'traffic issues' as the top priority.

"Should we vote based on the person or the party?"

A road in Jangji-dong, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 24th. The space with grass planted in the center is reserved for the introduction of a tram. Photo by Heejun Jang junh@

On the afternoon of the 24th, near Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, at an apartment complex that has been occupied for six years, young parents and preschool and elementary school children were easily noticeable. Sim Mo (39), a housewife who was going to pick up her son after his academy class, shook her head when asked about her 'preferred candidate.' She said, "I don't really know." She added, "I voted for Lee Won-wook in the last election, but he left to form a new party, didn't he? He gives a rational impression when you look at him as a person, but can the new party be trusted enough to support?"

This area is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party, but even during the 18th general election, the conservative camp was dominant. At that time, Lee Won-wook voluntarily ran in a tough district but lost to Park Bo-hwan of the Hannara Party. Afterwards, he took charge as the local party chairman of Hwaseong and focused on managing the constituency. There is an anecdote that when faxed party membership applications flooded in Hwaseong, where party members were in single digits, it was mistaken for an accident. Crucially, with the completion of Dongtan New Town, the number of young voters increased significantly, and Lee received the party nomination in the 19th general election, winning three consecutive terms up to the 21st.

The figure who built the opposition stronghold... 'Incumbent premium' Lee Won-wook

Lee Won-wook, Co-Representative of the Future Grand Alliance. / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Given this situation, many in the local political circles predict the advantage of Lee Won-wook, who holds the 'incumbent premium.' Lee has served as the Democratic Party's floor deputy leader and central party strategic nomination committee chairman, and in the last general election, he succeeded in winning a third term with a high vote share of 64.5%. A local official who served as a city councilor said, "We need to elect a lawmaker with rich experience in Yeouido to have negotiating power when handling important local matters. Dongtan has many urgent issues, including traffic problems, so such a figure is more necessary."

Lee plans to appeal to voters with tangible achievements that residents can feel, such as personally negotiating with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to realize the GTX-A project, leading the passage of the 'Tram Four Acts,' and extending the Dongtan-Indeokwon Line to Line 1. The resolution of the naming dispute between 'Dongtan-Indeokwon Line' and 'Indeokwon-Dongtan Line' to 'Dongin Line' is a favorable factor appealing to the pride unique to new town residents. On the 26th, he also visited the construction site of the Dongin Line double-track railway section 1 with Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, urging the prompt start of construction in the Dongtan area and the establishment of Solbitnaru Station.

His consistent engagement with the Buddhist community, including serving as president of the National Assembly Buddhist Group 'Jeonggakhoe,' is also noteworthy. This is because the Yongjusa Temple, the main temple of the Jogye Order's 2nd district and known to have significant influence in the sect, is located in the Hwaseong constituency.

A staff member from Lee Won-wook's office stated, "We will complete Dongtan so that the children of Dongtan can take pride in their hometown. Since projects like GTX-A, which we have focused on for the region, are scheduled to be completed during the 22nd National Assembly, we will take full responsibility and complete them."

Fierce 'True Myung Battle'... Clear appeal to the support base

Even a 'senior incumbent' cannot ignore the strong support for the party called the 'Democratic Party.' In the last presidential election, Lee Jae-myung received 283,324 votes (52.7%) in Hwaseong City, significantly surpassing Yoon Seok-youl, who received 236,055 votes (43.9%). This trend is expected to become more pronounced if the constituency is narrowed down to Hwaseong, where the new town's younger generation dominates. There is even a saying that "many voters in the area vote based on the party, not the person."

The Democratic Party saw a fierce battle over the next candidate. Eight candidates declared their candidacy: former National Assembly Legislative Research Office Director Kim Ha-jung, former Hwaseong Mayor Seo Cheol-mo, Oh Sang-ho, standing executive committee member of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, Lee Won-hyuk, spokesperson of the Democratic Party National Innovation Council, Jang Se-hwan, vice chairman of the Democratic Party Gyeonggi Basic Social Committee, proportional representative lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi, former Kim Boo-kyum Prime Minister's Office Civil Affairs Chief Jo Dae-hyun, and Jin Seok-beom, special advisor to party leader Lee Jae-myung (in alphabetical order).

Most emphasize their connection to 'Leader Lee Jae-myung,' leading to the term 'True Myung Battle.' Former Director Kim Ha-jung served as the head of the legal special advisory group in Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign, and Lee Won-hyuk's Democratic Innovation Council is a representative 'pro-Lee' outside organization.

Also, Oh Sang-ho served as deputy chief of staff in Lee Jae-myung's campaign, and lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi voiced opposition to the approval of the arrest motion against Lee Jae-myung on social media, saying "My blood boils," calling for the identification of those who voted for approval. Jin Seok-beom was a special advisor to Leader Lee.

While many inside and outside the party view these moves unfavorably, locally, they are seen as a clear 'appeal.' Han Eun-joo (37, female), whom we met at Sinrichon Cafe Street, said, "From a voter's perspective, such (pro-Lee) connections give hope that they can show presence under the Lee Jae-myung regime." Her companions agreed, saying, "To stop the government's failures, naturally, we must vote for the Democratic Party and candidates close to Lee Jae-myung."

'Pro-Lee Presence' Jin Seok-beom... 'Dongtan Mayor' Seo Cheol-mo Enters the Race

On the 24th, at the new PI launch ceremony of the Democratic Party of Korea held at the National Assembly, Representative Lee Jae-myung and Floor Leader Hong Ik-pyo unveiled the new logo.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jin Seok-beom declared his candidacy early, even before Lee Won-wook left the party, forming a 'pro-Lee vs. anti-Lee' structure. Jin's sponsor chairman is Lee Han-joo, former head of the Gyeonggi Research Institute, known as Lee Jae-myung's policy mentor and the architect of the 'Basic Series.' Jin is a social worker by training, has been a university professor, CEO of the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation, and vice chairman of the Democratic Party's Social Welfare Special Committee. He has also led local activities as head of Hwaseong's Warm Society Research Institute and Dongtan Welfare Forum.

Jin's camp proposed five major agendas: transportation, care, education, medical care, and housing, aiming to target the voting sentiment of 'young parents,' the main group constituting Dongtan New Town. Regarding traffic issues, plans include the prompt start of the Dongin Line and adding new entrances, establishing bus-only lanes around the first-generation new town and Dongtan Station area, and expanding weekend metropolitan and M-bus dispatches. As a welfare expert with experience in the field, academia, and administration, he proposed building a customized care system for each life cycle. Many of these points align with the party's general election pledges.

While Jin is actively working in the Dongtan 1 New Town area, former Hwaseong Mayor Seo Cheol-mo is gaining attention in the 2 New Town area. Although he failed to be re-elected as mayor, during his tenure, the term 'Dongtan Mayor' was used, indicating his relatively high support in the Hwaseong constituency.

Even banners are hard to find for the ruling party... Strategic nomination target for 'three consecutive defeats'

The People Power Party is struggling in the Democratic Party's stronghold. During coverage of the Hwaseong constituency, it was difficult to find the People Power Party's 'red' banners among the numerous 'blue' banners. This is seen as a clear example of the opposition's strength. The party's local committee chairperson position is also vacant, and the outline of candidates is expected to emerge after the electoral district adjustment.

Currently, three prospective candidates have completed preparations: Kim Hyung-nam, director of Hwaseong Future Strategy Research Institute and former senior advisor of the functional headquarters in Yoon Seok-youl's presidential campaign; Kim Soo-in, former female committee chair of Hwaseong Party Members' Council; and Noh Ye-seul, deputy chair of the central party youth committee. These candidates are striving to sway votes with local issues, including traffic problems.

Director Kim Hyung-nam prominently highlights his achievement in attracting the Dongtan-Indeokwon Line. Since December 2011, he established the Dongtan Subway Promotion Emergency Committee and collected signatures from 22 organizations and about 11,000 people across 17 towns and townships, which were reflected in the Gyeonggi regional pledges of Park Geun-hye's presidential campaign. He said, "When Democratic Party-affiliated mayors and lawmakers ignored residents' wishes, I took direct action to create the petition. The 'alternative route' prepared after establishing the Dongtan Subway Promotion Emergency Committee was all reflected in the basic plan after consultations with the public-private-government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This is why I can confidently say, 'Kim Hyung-nam who attracted the Dongtan-Indeokwon Line.'"

Kim plans to promote stations such as Techno Valley Station, Cheonggye Station, Mokdong Station, Sinri Station, Lake Park Station, and Namdongtan Station through the extension of the Bundang Line. He stated, "We must relieve Dongtan residents from the pain of lining up over 100 meters at bus stops in freezing winters and scorching summers."

However, the People Power Party's nomination management committee has classified Hwaseong as a strategic nomination target based on the criterion of 'three consecutive defeats in past elections.' Locally, there is speculation that they might aim for a 'windfall effect.' A local party official predicted, "If the new party (Lee Won-wook) emphasizes progressive colors, the opposition vote could be split."

'Major Variable' Electoral District... Opposition Candidates' Complex Calculations

Demonstration of ballot counting for the 22nd National Assembly election [Image source=Yonhap News]

The biggest variable is the 'electoral district delineation.' The Hwaseong constituency is expected to be divided into 'Hwaseong-jeong' by combining some units from surrounding constituencies.

The Hwaseong constituency is broadly divided into two areas. Based on Osancheon Stream, the western Dongtan 1 New Town has a high proportion of people in their 40s and 50s, and with Samsung Electronics Nano City Hwaseong Campus in Banwol-dong, many residents have moved in from surrounding areas. The eastern Dongtan 2 New Town has a relatively higher proportion of people in their 30s and 40s and includes Lotte Department Store, Dongtan Lake Park, and Techno Valley. According to the current delineation plan, the Dongtan 1 New Town area will become 'Hwaseong-jeong,' and the Dongtan 2 New Town and surrounding areas will be adjusted to the existing 'Hwaseong.' It is generally expected that this will be finalized.

The problem lies in nominations. The Democratic Party has classified 'Hwaseong,' which became vacant due to Lee Won-wook's departure, as a strategic nomination district. Whether the newly divided 'Hwaseong-jeong' will also become a strategic nomination target as a new constituency or hold a primary as is remains a key issue. Some Democratic candidates are focusing their efforts strategically on either Dongtan 1 or Dongtan 2. If only Hwaseong is given a strategic nomination and a primary is held in Hwaseong-jeong, candidates displaced from Hwaseong may join Hwaseong-jeong in large numbers, intensifying competition.