[22nd General Election Candidates] Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu (Eul)

Current Lawmaker Lee Hyung-seok and Former Cheong Administrative Officer Jeon Jin-sook in Democratic Party Primary

Progressive Party's Yoon Min-ho and Independent Kim Won-gap Complete Preliminary Candidate Registration

The Buk-gu (Eul) electoral district of Gwangju Metropolitan City will see a rematch between incumbent National Assembly member Lee Hyung-seok and former Blue House administrator Jeon Jin-sook for the Democratic Party nomination.

Jeon’s female candidate bonus could be a key variable in the primary race, drawing attention.

From the left, Lee Hyung-seok, Jeon Jin-sook, Yoon Min-ho, Kim Won-gap preliminary candidates.

Assemblyman Lee Hyung-seok is noted for his extensive administrative and political experience. He has served as chairman of the Gwangju City Council, deputy mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City for economic affairs, and as a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party.

In the last general election, he defeated candidate Choi Kyung-hwan, the last secretary to former President Kim Dae-jung, with the highest number of votes nationwide (108,229 votes).

While serving on the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee, Lee achieved results by resolving long-standing projects such as establishing a new driver’s license testing center, expanding the Honam Expressway, constructing a new exhibition hall for the Gwangju Biennale, and developing an AI cluster project in the Advanced 3 District.

With the party primary race underway, he recently opened the “Lee Hyung-seok Imagination Camp” campaign office and entered full election mode. About 3,000 people, including Assemblyman Min Hyung-bae and former chairmen of the Gwangju City Council, attended the opening ceremony, showcasing a large-scale display of strength. He is appealing for residents’ support under the slogan “Judgment on the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, Democracy again.”

Former administrator Jeon Jin-sook, seeking revenge after the last general election, began as a civil society activist, served as a member of the 7th Gwangju City Council, and was the first female local politician from the region to serve as an administrator in the Moon Jae-in administration’s Blue House.

After losing the nomination to Lee in the 21st general election, Jeon served as secretary-general of the Rural Youth and Women Foundation under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and is currently deputy director of the Democratic Party’s Women’s Leadership Center and chairperson of the Bitgoeul Vision Creation Institute.

Jeon presented visions including ▲ transformation of Gwangju Station and redevelopment of the old downtown area ▲ attracting special education development zones ▲ creating tourism killer content linking Buk-gu and surrounding areas ▲ and industrial hub growth through renovation of aging industrial complexes.

From the Progressive Party, Yoon Min-ho, co-representative of the Buk-gu Education Hope Network, is running. He has a background in student activism at Chosun University and has run multiple times for mayor of Gwangju and for the National Assembly.

Kim Won-gap, a former commander of the May Citizen Army and a preliminary candidate, is also running as an independent again following the 21st general election.

Buk-gu (Eul) includes the districts of Unam 1, 2, and 3-dong, Yongbong-dong, Dongnim-dong, Samgak-dong, Ilgok-dong, Maegok-dong, Geon-guk-dong, and Yangsan-dong.