[General Election Battleground](19) "No Candidate to Vote For"... Sejong Gap in Chaos

Democratic Party Supporters Struggle Over Candidate Nomination Cancellation
Opposition to People Power and Saemirae Parties Spurs Shift Toward Rival Candidates

"Who should I really vote for?" On the 27th of last month, when meeting Mr. Jeong (47) in the waiting room of Sejong Express Intercity Bus Terminal and asking about the election atmosphere, he instead asked back like this. With only 10 days left until the April 10 general election, voters in Sejong Gap, Chungnam, have fallen into so-called 'menbung' (short for mental breakdown, a situation of great frustration and loss). This is because when Lee Young-seon, the former Democratic Party candidate, was disqualified due to allegations of real estate gap speculation, half of the votes that supported him lost their destination.

"The young guy from the People Power Party seems smart and capable, but the party is the problem, and one candidate left because he hates the Democratic Party, so I don't really know." Mr. Yoon (74), whom we met at Daepyeong-dong intersection, clicked his tongue and evaluated the two candidates like this. He looked up and alternately glanced at the large banners hanging at the election offices of Ryu Je-hwa, the People Power Party candidate for Sejong Gap, and Kim Jong-min of the New Future Party, who face each other diagonally. His expression showed that he could not decide whom to vote for between the theory of regime judgment and the so-called anti-Lee Jae-myung faction.

In the waiting room of Sejong Express Intercity Bus Terminal, citizens are waiting for the bus. (Photo by Dongwoo Lee)

Sejong Gap Becomes a No Man's Land... "I'll Choose the Lesser Evil"

Most voters were generally indifferent to the political backgrounds of the two candidates, Ryu Je-hwa and Kim Jong-min. This means that party affiliation still has a significant influence on voting. Sejong City has been considered a Democratic Party stronghold since its establishment in 2012 as part of former President Roh Moo-hyun's new administrative capital construction pledge. Democratic Party candidates were consecutively elected in the 19th, 20th, and 21st general elections. Mr. Lee (67), who lives in Boram-dong and identifies as a Democratic Party supporter, said, "It was right for the party to cancel the nomination due to the candidate's fault, but if the candidate had been more thoroughly vetted before the nomination, this disaster wouldn't have happened," adding self-deprecatingly, "In the end, it seems like an election where we have to choose the lesser evil."

Regarding candidate Kim, there is a public opinion that he is "still a Democratic Party person." Mr. Kim (59), who runs a real estate agency, said, "The focus of this election should remain on judging the Yoon Seok-yeol government," adding, "Although Kim Jong-min left the Democratic Party, since he has been part of the party for a long time, I want to place hope on the prosecution regime judgment stance."

The election offices of Ryu Jehwa, the People Power Party candidate for Sejong Gap, and Kim Jongmin, the Saeroun Mirae candidate, face each other at the intersection of Daepyeong-dong, Sejong City. (Photo by Dongwoo Lee)

Among strong Democratic Party supporters, there are also opinions to support candidate Ryu due to antipathy toward the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction. Mr. Choi (79), who lives in Dodam-dong, said, "Rather than giving votes to the traitor party with Lee Nak-yeon, who abandoned the party, I think it's better to vote for the People Power Party," but added, "I saw the young candidate (Ryu Je-hwa) clearly announce policy pledges, and he seems trustworthy despite leaving the party."

There is also a possibility of a large number of abstentions from undecided voters. Mrs. Choi (53), a housewife met near Sejong City Hall, confessed, "I'm even thinking about not voting at all." According to a survey conducted by the polling agency 'Poll Flower' on the 25th and 26th, targeting 504 men and women aged 18 and over residing in the Sejong Gap electoral district, candidate Ryu received 19.8%, and candidate Kim 26.1%. The percentage of respondents who said they had no candidate to support reached 44.6%. The percentage of those who said they did not know was also 9.5%. This survey was conducted using the telephone interview method (CATI) with virtual mobile phone numbers, with a sampling error of ±4.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 18.7%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.

Both Candidates Ryu Je-hwa and Kim Jong-min Say "It's Worth Trying"

Unlike the citizens, the two candidates for Sejong Gap are burning with determination, saying this general election is "worth trying." As the party structure collapses amid the Democratic Party's dominance, both sides see this election as a golden 'opportunity' to enter the National Assembly. If they can capture the votes of the large non-affiliated group, which accounts for about 55%, their chances of winning increase.

Both candidates expressed their determination to transform Sejong City into an administrative capital through their policy pledges. Candidate Ryu said in an interview with Asia Economy, "Due to the solid party structure, there was no opportunity to sufficiently persuade voters about Sejong City's development strategy and vision," adding, "Now, time has been given to raise important issues such as the previously buried administrative capital relocation, large-scale vacancy problems, and regional economic revitalization." He stated that upon entering the National Assembly, he would first revise the New Administrative Capital Act, which has been hindered for 20 years due to the Constitutional Court's unconstitutional ruling, and then re-pursue it.

People Power Party's Ryu Je-hwa, Candidate for Sejong Gap, Determined to Win
(Sejong=Yonhap News) Reporter Eun-pa Lee = On the 24th, Ryu Je-hwa, the People Power Party candidate for Sejong Gap in the April 10 general election, attended the opening ceremony of his campaign office and stated, "I will definitely win this general election and make Sejong City the best city to live in nationwide." 2024.3.24
sw21@yna.co.kr
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Candidate Kim also pledged to transform Sejong into a city of one million people, serving as the administrative, international diplomatic, and future economic capital. He said, "A population of one million is impossible with just the completion of the administrative capital; self-sustaining functions must be supported," adding, "We plan to create a massive Sejong future industrial cluster encompassing the happy city and rural areas, centered on the three major industries of digital, green, and human."

The rivalry between the two candidates is also intense. Candidate Ryu criticized, "I see the typical image of an established politician in Kim Jong-min's wavering actions," adding, "I doubt Kim's sincerity as he left his re-election district of Nonsan-Gyeryong-Geumsan and moved to Sejong just before the election." Candidate Kim, who has recently been apologizing to Democratic Party supporters and expanding common ground, emphasized in an Asia Economy interview, "South Korea is in crisis due to the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's arbitrariness, dogmatism, and unilateralism," adding, "If we fail to judge vested politics, the imperial presidential system, and the prosecution regime, our future will fall into greater crisis."

Candidate Kim Jong-min Registering for Sejong Gap Preliminary Candidacy
(Sejong=Yonhap News) Kim Jong-min, the New Future Party preliminary candidate for Sejong Gap in the April 10 general election, visited the Sejong City Election Commission on the 21st and showed the registration documents ahead of candidate registration. 2024.3.21 [Provided by Kim Jong-min Candidate Camp. Resale and DB prohibited]
sw21@yna.co.kr
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＜Copyright(c) Yonhap News Agency, Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution, AI training and use prohibited＞