Is a Quiet 'Political Revolution' Beginning in Eastern South Jeolla?

The Collapse of the “Democratic Party Nomination Equals Victory” Formula Continues
Independent Wins in Suncheon, Party for National Innovation Triumphs in Damyang

Logos of the Party for National Innovation and the Democratic Party of Korea. Asia Economy Honam Headquarters

With the Democratic Party of Korea winning the June 3 presidential election, there are now predictions that the political landscape of the eastern region of South Jeolla Province may be shifting. This is because a quiet fracture is beginning to emerge in an area once referred to as the "Democratic Party's impregnable fortress," as politics centered on party nominations begins to break down.

For a long time, the "political inertia" of South Jeolla meant that a Democratic Party nomination was virtually equivalent to election victory. However, in recent years, this formula has repeatedly failed in Suncheon and Damyang.

In Suncheon, during last year’s general election, the proportional representation party Party for National Innovation garnered more than 40% of the vote, leading to analysis that the traditional political structure was collapsing. Even earlier, in 2022, an independent candidate was elected mayor, demonstrating that voters were no longer simply choosing candidates based on party affiliation.

Kim Sunhwa (58, pseudonym), a self-employed resident of Jorye-dong, Suncheon, shared the local sentiment: "In the past, I would just vote for the Democratic Party. These days, I look first at who will actually do the job well and take responsibility, rather than just who got the nomination."

In Damyang, the by-election for county governor held last April produced a symbolic scene when the Party for National Innovation candidate won. Even in areas within South Jeolla that have traditionally been strongholds of Democratic Party support, voters made a new choice. This carries significance beyond a simple election result.

Professor Jung from the Department of Political Science at Gwangju University analyzed this as a "tectonic shift in political sentiment." He explained, "In Damyang, it was not a battle of numbers, but a battle of emotions. The feelings of local residents toward political parties themselves are changing, and this trend is spreading to places like Suncheon and Gwangyang."

Whereas in the past voters cast their ballots based on party affiliation, now they judge candidates by their individual abilities and attitudes. The old formula that "independents are at a disadvantage" is also gradually breaking down. This shift is linked to voters having better access to information and a wider range of candidates to choose from.

In the past, regions where independent candidates could win were considered "outlying areas," but now, even in Suncheon, the political heart of South Jeolla, this has become a reality. Suncheon and Damyang are no longer regions where party affiliation determines everything. In fact, these two areas are where voters first became aware that political change is necessary for regional change.

Professor Park Kyungmi of Chonbuk National University (Comparative Politics) presented a similar context in a paper, evaluating the shift from party-centered to voter-centered politics as a "symbolic change demonstrating the maturation of local democracy."

In her research on the structure of regional parties, Professor Park pointed out, "A nomination-centered political culture restricts voter choice, and in the long term, this can sap the vitality of regional politics." This provides a structural explanation for the current preference for independent and new party candidates in South Jeolla.

Individuals over parties, achievements over slogans, the local scene over the central government. This quiet political shift now underway in South Jeolla is a trend that goes beyond a mere election outcome. Attention is now focused on whether this "political fracture" that began in Suncheon and Damyang will spread throughout South Jeolla?and perhaps even nationwide.