Why Is It Difficult for Former Seoul District Mayors to Pass the National Assembly Candidate Primary?

Three-term Former Seodaemun District Mayor Moon Seok-jin, Two-term Former Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Soo-young, and First-term Former Songpa District Mayor Park Sung-soo Lose in Primary... Two-term Former Eunpyeong District Mayor Kim Woo-young Faces Upcoming Primary Amid Interest... Two-term Former Gwanak District Mayor Yoo Jong-pil Receives Single Nomination from People Power Party in Gwanak-gap, Preparing for Election

The April 10 general election is just 40 days away.

The ruling and opposition parties are making a final push to select candidates for the election.

So far, former district mayors of Seoul have consecutively lost in the preliminary candidate primaries, drawing attention to the reasons behind this trend.

In the Democratic Party candidate primaries, three-term former Seodaemun District Mayor Moon Seok-jin, two-term Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Soo-young, and first-term Songpa District Mayor Park Sung-soo all failed to pass the primary stage.

Notably, they were defeated in primaries against incumbent members of the National Assembly, which has attracted attention.

Additionally, three-term former Dobong District Mayor Lee Dong-jin had prepared for the general election and even opened an office, but had to give up his ambitions after his district was designated as a strategic constituency. Two-term former Dongjak District Mayor Lee Chang-woo prepared to run but was disqualified and withdrew.

Two-term former Eunpyeong District Mayor Kim Woo-young is facing a primary after internal controversies.

There is much discussion about the reasons why former district mayors, who meet with residents 365 days a year, are consecutively losing from the candidate primaries onward.

A senior official A from a Seoul autonomous district said, “District mayors meet numerous residents daily, but they keep losing in this candidate primary. I don’t understand the reason.”

This curiosity is understandable.

Compared to district mayors, members of the National Assembly have less contact with residents. However, they have a solid political organization including district councilors and city councilors who act like their aides.

Because of this, managing loyal party members is something district mayors cannot match when competing against National Assembly members.

This phenomenon seems to have been clearly revealed in this primary as well.

A Seoul city councilor B said, “Members of the National Assembly usually manage their organizations thoroughly. In this regard, district mayors cannot keep up.”

Meanwhile, two-term Gwanak District Mayor Yoo Jong-pil has been nominated unopposed as the People Power Party candidate for Gwanak-gap and has begun his election campaign in earnest. On March 12 at 2 p.m., Yoo will hold an opening ceremony and launch his campaign headquarters on the 8th floor of the Egg Yellow Building near Exit 3 of Seoul National University Station.

Jo Eun-hee, a two-term former Seocho District Mayor and member of the People Power Party, has been nominated as the candidate for Seocho-gap in the April 10 general election and is expected to secure a second term as a member of the National Assembly.

From the Democratic Party, former three-term Gangdong District Mayor Lee Hae-sik, two-term Nowon District Mayor Kim Sung-hwan, and two-term Seongbuk District Mayor Kim Young-bae have already decided to challenge for second or third terms as members of the National Assembly.

It will be noteworthy to see how many former Seoul district mayors will be elected as members of the National Assembly in the April 10 (22nd) general election.