[General Election Battleground] ⑭ Seodaemun "No Need to Change" vs "Not an Opposition Stronghold"

Kim Young-ho Democratic Party Candidate vs Park Jin People Power Party Candidate
Large Apartment Complex 'New Town' Public Sentiment, Potential Variable

"The president can be from the People Power Party, but the National Assembly member cannot be from the People Power Party." - A man in his 70s living in Hongje 3-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

"It is now a complacent view to see Seodaemun-gu as a stronghold of the Democratic Party of Korea." - A man in his 40s living in Namgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

The reason why the reactions of Seodaemun-gu residents are so divided is that Park Jin of the People Power Party (4-term, Gangnam-eul, Seoul) has challenged Kim Young-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker (re-elected) whose constituency is Seodaemun-eul. With the appearance of the influential Park, Seodaemun-gu began to attract attention. Park served three terms only in Jongno and ran for Gangnam in the general election four years ago, winning his fourth term. Park, who served as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, was asked by the party to run in a "difficult district" and changed his constituency.

Park is not in a favorable position. Seodaemun-eul is classified as a district with a strong opposition party color. Except for the late Chung Doo-un, a former Saenuri Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker, conservative party candidates have never won in the general election. Seodaemun-eul borders Jongno to the east, Mapo to the west, and Eunpyeong and Seodaemun-gap districts to the north and south.

Inwang Market located in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. A man in his 60s met here said about the outlook for this general election, "We won't know until we open the lid." (Photo by Lee Hyun-joo)

"I will never vote for the People Power Party" Basically, the opposition is strong

On the 6th, Lee (52), whom we met in Bukgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, said firmly, "I will never vote for the People Power Party." Lee said, "No matter who comes out from the ruling party, I will never vote for the ruling party," adding, "I don't particularly like the Democratic Party either, but I feel the People Power Party must not win." He criticized, "I cannot agree with any of the government's policies. There seems to be no long-term plan, and they only try to block issues when they arise."

Pharmacist Yoo Woong-hee (76), who has operated a pharmacy in Inwang Market for over 40 years, said, "Park has come and gone three times," but also hinted, "It is true that Park faces a difficult region." Yoo said, "Kim has developed the area very well," shaking his head, "I still don't know the trend." A woman in her 70s living in Hongje 3-dong said, "Once people have made up their minds, it is hard to change," adding, "Kim often visits the church and knows the neighborhood people well." Choi (69), who lives in the same area, also predicted, "In the end, the Democratic Party candidate will win."

There were also many opinions supporting incumbent Kim, who is not a "rolling stone" but a local lawmaker. Baek (39), living in Bukgajwa-dong, said, "Since Park is a well-known politician, I expect a close race," but added, "I think Kim, who has been active as an incumbent in Seodaemun for a long time, is more suitable as a candidate this time." Shin (43), who has lived in Namgajwa-dong for three years, said, "Since moving here, I haven't felt any major inconvenience," adding, "I don't really see a big reason to change the incumbent lawmaker."

Since the local elections, a ruling party wave... "Park Jin has competitiveness" also evaluated

Meanwhile, there is an analysis that the mood among Seodaemun-eul residents has somewhat changed recently. Following the high vote count for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Lee Seong-heon of the People Power Party was elected Seodaemun-gu mayor by a margin of 10,000 votes in the June 1 local elections. In particular, the densely packed apartment complex "Gajaeul New Town" in Namgajwa-dong and Bukgajwa-dong is expected to be a variable in public sentiment. Many new residents who moved in for their children's education live here, and the relatively politically neutral age group under 40 is concentrated. A woman in her 40s met near Seoul Gajaeul Elementary School said, "I have lived here less than a month and don't even know who the local assembly member is."

Kim (43), living in Namgajwa-dong, said, "It won't be easy for Park, but he has a good chance of winning," adding, "Because it is better to be a candidate from the 'ruling party' regardless of which party." He added, "Since there are no particular local issues, it seems likely to follow the overall trend," and "If the Seoul area trend favors the ruling party, Seodaemun will likely follow." A man in his 60s said, "I often meet Park these days," adding, "If he works two to three times harder, even to the point of losing weight, honestly, the result could be uncertain." There was an expectation that the four-term senior ruling party lawmaker could carry out regional development.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Young-ho, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

There were also criticisms that constituency management was somewhat insufficient. Shim (55), who has lived in Bukgajwa-dong for over 20 years, said, "It has been a long time since they promised to build the Gajaeul Library, but it still hasn't been built," adding, "The era of voting based on party is over." Shim said, "The Democratic Party's nomination process is noisy, and if they join hands with former Minister Cho Kuk, how can parents stay silent?" He added, "The high-level children's admission corruption is not only about former Minister Cho, so while I feel sorry for him, I also think, what's so wrong about the first lady carrying a luxury bag?" Choi (60), who runs a business at Yujin Shopping Center, said, "Every time a candidate runs for the National Assembly promising to do well, nothing improves," adding, "Who should we vote for? They all lie, so I hope a competent person comes."

In Seodaemun-eul, where a match-up between incumbent lawmakers has been made, the competition among candidates is expected to intensify as the voting day approaches. Park, who opened his election office on the 5th, has begun full-scale campaigning. Park stated, "I am ready to give up the vested rights of a four-term senior lawmaker and make sacrifices and dedication." His pledges include ▲ rapid promotion of the Western Light Rail and Gangbuk Cross Line ▲ integrated development of Yujin Shopping Center and Inwang Market ▲ expansion of advanced educational infrastructure. Kim is meeting residents by riding a bicycle around the area. Leveraging his advantage as an incumbent local lawmaker, Kim actively promotes the Gajaeul Youth Center and Kids Healthcare Center, which were built with earlier grants, while appealing for support through tailored local pledges such as installing traffic lights between Jeungsan Station and Jeungsan 2 Bridge.