[General Election Battleground]⑩ 'People Over Parties' Seoul Jung-Seongdong Gap... Yoon Hee-suk VS Im Jong-seok Neck and Neck

Ruling and Opposition Parties, 2 Wins and 2 Losses Exchanged Over the Past 3 Years
Hong Ik-pyo, Floor Leader, Moves Constituency Leaving It a No-Man's Land

"This is a tough neighborhood. They say this place is the stronghold of people from the Honam region, but honestly, it has changed a lot now. People no longer really care about whether someone is from Jeolla or Gyeongsang provinces. The idea is more like, 'What have the politicians in Seongdong-gu done? Let's just change everything completely.'

Near Wangsimni Station in Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month. Mr. Kim, in his 60s, who has been working as a clothing designer here for 15 years, described the local atmosphere ahead of the 22nd general election like this.

In this year's general election, Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap in Seoul, considered major battlegrounds in the Hangang Belt, are among areas with many middle-class voters. Traditionally, progressive parties have been dominant, with the Democratic Party of Korea holding the seat for 12 years since the 19th general election. This includes Eungbong-dong, Seongsu 1-ga 1-dong, Seongsu 1-ga 2-dong, Seongsu 2-ga 1-dong, Seongsu 2-ga 3-dong, Wangsimni Doseon-dong, Wangsimni 2-dong, Haengdang 1-dong, Haengdang 2-dong, Majang-dong, Sageun-dong, Songjeong-dong, Yongdap-dong, and others.

On the 1st, local residents were shopping at Majang Livestock Market located in Majang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Choi Young-chan)

Recent Election Results Show a 2-2 Tie Between Ruling and Opposition Parties... Democratic Party Should Be Alert

However, looking at the results of national elections held in Seongdong-gu Gap over the past three years, the ruling and opposition parties have been evenly matched. In the 21st general election in 2020, following the 20th, then Democratic Party candidate Hong Ik-pyo won a third term by defeating Jin Su-hee of the United Future Party (People Power Party) by a margin of 13.17 percentage points (53.65% to 40.48%). However, in the 20th presidential election held two years later, Yoon Seok-yeol of the People Power Party won against Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party by 7.07 percentage points (51.19% to 44.12%), indicating a shift in local public sentiment.

In the local elections for the 8th term of local government held in June of the same year, the results were also close. In the Seongdong-gu mayoral election, Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh won by a margin of 21.34 percentage points (60.22% to 38.88%) over People Power Party candidate Kang Maeng-hoon. Meanwhile, in the Seoul mayoral election held simultaneously, People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon defeated Democratic Party candidate Song Young-gil by 19.76 percentage points (58.59% to 38.83%). This shows that election outcomes in this area depend more on the candidate than the party. This tendency in Seongdong-gu was also evident in the 17th, 18th, and 19th general elections. The 17th general election was won by the Uri Party (Democratic Party), the 18th by the Grand National Party, and the 19th saw the Democratic Party regain both Seongdong Gap and Eul seats.

Mr. Kim, in his 80s and a resident of Seongdong-gu for 50 years, said, "They keep biting each other, so I don't know who to vote for. It's the same whoever comes out. I've voted for the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, but the people worry about the National Assembly, not the other way around. I'll decide when the election comes."

With Hong Ik-pyo Running in Seocho-eul, Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap Become 'No Man's Land'... Interest in Im Jong-seok vs. Yoon Hee-sook

In this general election, Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap have become a 'no man's land.' This is because Hong Ik-pyo, the Democratic Party floor leader and the current representative of this district, announced his candidacy for Seocho-gu Eul. Hong registered as a preliminary candidate in that district on the 23rd of last month. Currently, former Blue House Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok has declared his candidacy for Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap. Im registered as a preliminary candidate on the 15th of last month. He is a key figure in the pro-Moon Jae-in faction and a member of the '86 generation' (born in the 1960s, university in the 1980s) activist group, having served as a member of the 16th and 17th National Assembly.

On the People Power Party side, former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook has declared her candidacy. Yoon is an economist from the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and was elected in the 21st general election representing Seocho-gap in Seoul. She gained significant attention for her parliamentary speech titled "I am a tenant" during the Democratic Party's forced passage of the three lease laws in 2020. However, she resigned from her position the following year amid allegations of her father's violation of the Farmland Act.

Recently, Im Jong-seok and Yoon Hee-sook had a brief confrontation. Yoon criticized Im for lacking basic knowledge after Im pointed out the economic collapse under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Im posted on his SNS, "Per capita national income has turned negative for the first time since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis. Last year's economic growth rate was 1.4%." Yoon responded, "Last year's per capita national income figures are not out yet," and added, "Even looking at results up to the third quarter, per capita national income increased."

(Left) Im Jong-seok, former Chief of Staff at the Blue House, affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, (Right) Yoon Hee-sook, former member of the National Assembly, affiliated with the People Power Party

Within the Democratic Party, Pro-Lee Jae-myung Cho Sang-ho and 'Gaeddal' Supporter Lee Eon-ju Also Considered

However, the contest between Im Jong-seok and Yoon Hee-sook is not yet finalized. Recently, within the Democratic Party, there is talk of Cho Sang-ho, vice chairman of the party's legal committee, possibly running instead of Im. Cho is considered a core pro-Lee Jae-myung figure and is known as a close aide who defended Lee in the trial over the Daejang-dong development project preferential treatment allegations.

Among Lee Jae-myung's strong supporters known as 'Gaeddal' (Daughters of Reform), there have been voices calling for the strategic nomination of former lawmaker Lee Eon-ju, who recently left the People Power Party, in Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu Gap. Lee left the Democratic Party ahead of the 2017 presidential election but was recently personally requested by Lee Jae-myung to return to the party.

Additionally, on the People Power Party side, Choi Won-jun, current senior vice chairman of the Seoul City Party's Public Relations Committee, Kwon Oh-hyun, former administrative officer of the Public Office Discipline Secretariat, and Jeong Young-gyu, former professor at Hanshin University, have registered as preliminary candidates. From the Democratic Party, former Seoul City Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Park Yang-sook, and from the Progressive Party, Kang Byung-chan, policy director of the National Home Appliance and Telecommunications Service Labor Union, are preparing to run.

The area near Wangsimni Station in Seongdong-gu on the 31st of last month. (Photo by Choi Young-chan)