Election D-2, Candidates Campaign in Central Seoul
Focus on Vote Consolidation through Progressive Unification
Jo Jeon-hyeok and Jeong Geun-sik Both Send 'Love Calls' to Yoon Ho-sang
Early Voting Rate at 8%, Lower than Other Regions
With the unification of progressive candidates ahead of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent by-election scheduled for the 16th, the pool of candidates has narrowed down to three. Attention is focused on how the last-minute unification of the progressive camp will affect voter sentiment.
On the 14th, two days before the main election, the candidates for superintendent devoted themselves to street campaigns. Candidate Jeong Geun-sik started his campaign in the morning from Samgaksan High School in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, and moved through densely populated residential areas in Gangbuk such as Suyu Station, Chang-dong Station, and Euljiro. Candidate Jo Jeon-hyeok toured central Seoul areas from Gwanghwamun to Seodaemun and Apgujeong. Candidate Yoon Ho-sang visited bustling areas including Janghanpyeong Station, Seongsu Station, and Gangnam Station.
Earlier, on the second day of early voting (11th-12th), on the 12th, progressive candidates Jeong Geun-sik and Choi Bo-seon achieved last-minute unification. Although early voting had already been underway for a day, Candidate Choi announced his withdrawal, stating, "We must not entrust Seoul's education to Jo, who is a figure of test-competition absolutism." Given that recent media polls showed a close race between Candidates Jeong and Jo, attention is on whether Choi’s supporters will shift their votes to Candidate Jeong.
On the 12th, a notice about a candidate's withdrawal from the Central Election Commission was posted at a polling station for the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education by-election. [Photo by Park Joon-yi]
Additionally, there is interest in whether the conservative candidates Jo and Yoon will unify. The conservative camp has failed to unify in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 elections, resulting in defeats to progressive candidates for superintendent. The day before, both Candidate Jo and Candidate Jeong proposed alliances to Candidate Yoon, but Yoon stated, "I have heard the proposals from both candidates, but I have not found any decisive factor to change my previous stance." Candidate Jo also responded in a phone call that unification with Candidate Yoon had not been pursued.
Meanwhile, early voting on the 11th and 12th saw 689,460 participants out of 8,321,972 eligible voters in Seoul, recording an early voting rate of 8.28%. This is 2.54 percentage points lower than the 10.82% early voting rate recorded in the Ulsan superintendent by-election held on April 5 last year.
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