Average Age of General Election Candidates 56.5 Years... Women Only 14%

As of 4 p.m. on the 22nd, the deadline for candidate registration for the 22nd general election, 86% of the registered candidates in the constituencies were male.

On the 22nd, the last day for candidate registration for the 22nd general election, a candidate registration desk was set up at the Daegu Nam-gu Election Commission.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the candidate registration status received by the National Election Commission on that day, out of 610 candidates, 526 were men, accounting for 86% of the total. Women accounted for only 84 candidates (14%). Their average age was 56.5 years, which is 1.7 years older than the average age of 54.8 years for candidates in the 21st general election held four years ago.

The oldest candidate was Park Ji-won of the Democratic Party, registered in Haenam-Wando-Jindo, Jeonnam, who is 81 years old this year. The next oldest candidate was Kwak Bong-geun (79) of the People Power Party, competing in the same constituency. Including them, there were a total of 15 candidates aged 70 or older.

The youngest candidates were Yeo Chan of the Progressive Party in Yeosu-eul, Jeonnam, and Woo Seo-young of the Democratic Party in Miryang-Uiryeong-Haman-Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, both aged 28.

However, Yeo was born on June 21, 1995, about six months earlier than Woo, who was born on January 1, 1996.

Shin Jae-yong (29) of the New Future Party in Iksan-gap, Jeonbuk, and Kim Hye-mi of the Green Justice Party in Mapo-gap, Seoul, followed at age 29. Among all candidates, only these four were in their twenties.

By party, the Democratic Party had the most candidates with 236, followed by the People Power Party with 231 candidates, five fewer. Next were the Reform New Party (31), Progressive Party (21), Green Justice Party (17), and New Future Party (15). There were 38 independent candidates.

By occupation, politicians including members of the National Assembly accounted for 414 candidates, or 68% of the total. This includes those who listed politician, party member, or National Assembly member as their occupation.

Seo Jung-hyun, an independent candidate running in Seo-gu, Daegu, attracted attention for having run in 16 previous public elections, the highest number among candidates registered that day. Following him was Kim Doo-kwan of the Democratic Party, registered in Yangsan-eul, Gyeongnam, with a total of 10 candidacies, ranking second in the number of times running for office.

Song Young-gil of the Sonamoo Party in Seo-gu-gap, Gwangju, who is currently under indictment and detention over allegations of distributing cash envelopes during the 2021 Democratic Party convention, recorded nine candidacies.

The constituency with the most candidates was Mokpo, Jeonnam, with a total of six candidates registered. They included incumbent first-term Democratic Party candidate Kim Won-i, People Power Party’s Yoon Seon-ung, Green Justice Party’s Park Myung-gi, Progressive Party’s Choi Guk-jin, Sonamoo Party’s Choi Dae-jip, and independent candidate Lee Yoon-seok. Following that, five candidates each registered in five constituencies: Jongno, Seoul, known as the 'political number one district,' as well as Dongnam-eul, Gwangju; Sejong-eul, Sejong; Jeonju-eul, Jeonbuk; and Yeongam-Muan-Shinan, Jeonnam.

Even as the deadline approached, there were three constituencies with no registered candidates at all (Suyeong, Busan; Suwon-byeong, Gyeonggi; and Dongan-eul, Anyang, Gyeonggi). There were also 14 constituencies with only one registered candidate, including Gangdong-eul, Seoul.