Race for Next Year's Buyeo County Governor Heats Up as Major Ruling and Opposition Candidates Prepare to Run

Democratic Party Primary Hinges on the 'Two Park-shim'
People Power Party Eyes a Comeback

From the left in the photo: Minsoo Kim, member of Chungnam Provincial Assembly; Kiseo Kim, member of Chungnam Provincial Assembly; Yongwoo Lee, former Buyeo County Governor; Gilyeon Cho, member of Chungnam Provincial Assembly

With the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3, 2026, the race for Buyeo County Governor in Chungnam is gradually heating up. Regardless of party affiliation, a number of prominent figures are being mentioned as potential candidates, signaling an intense competition ahead.

Within the Democratic Party, Minsoo Kim and Kiseo Kim, both members of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly, are being discussed as leading candidates. On the People Power Party side, Yongwoo Lee, former Buyeo County Governor, and Gilyeon Cho, member of the Chungnam Provincial Assembly, are considered strong contenders.

In particular, as the likelihood increases that Buyeo County Governor Park Junghyun will run in next year's Chungnam gubernatorial election, competition for the Buyeo County Governor seat is expected to intensify even further.

Buyeo County is the hometown of the late former Prime Minister Kim Jongpil and has long been classified as a region with strong conservative leanings.

However, in 2018, the election of Park Junghyun from the progressive Democratic Party brought significant change to the local political landscape, and in the 2022 8th popularly elected local government election, she was re-elected with a high vote share of 62%.

In contrast, during the 21st presidential election, People Power Party candidate Kim Moonsu defeated President Lee Jaemyung by a margin of 10.73 percentage points, demonstrating the consolidation of conservative support.

Local political circles analyze that "although there was public sentiment for judging former President Yoon Sukyeol, who was impeached, and the People Power Party, negative perceptions of President Lee Jaemyung, especially among older voters, also had an impact."

Within the Democratic Party, the political support of two key figures, Representative Park Suhyeon and Governor Park Junghyun?referred to as the 'two Park-shim'?is considered the most significant variable.

The direction of their support is expected to significantly influence the outcome of the party's internal primary.

Provincial Assembly member Minsoo Kim entered politics after serving as secretary to the late former National Assembly member Lee Wangu. He later joined the Democratic Party and closely assisted Representative Park Suhyeon when he was the local party chair outside the National Assembly.

He presents himself as an 'integrative' candidate, emphasizing his political experience spanning both progressive and conservative camps and his high recognition across various age groups.

Provincial Assembly member Kiseo Kim is a two-term lawmaker, known for his strong local organizational base and his background as the nephew of former Buyeo County Governor Kim Muhwan. He has been expanding his support base through active legislative work and close engagement with the community, and has recently been strengthening his contact with local residents.

On the People Power Party side, it is reported that former County Governor Yongwoo Lee is preparing to run again.

He previously served as the 6th popularly elected Buyeo County Governor and plans to emphasize his administrative experience and deep understanding of the region as his strengths.

Notably, during the party primary in the 2022 election, a resident who raised allegations of corruption against him was criminally punished for spreading false information, so this time he is expected to highlight his integrity.

Despite being 76 years old, Provincial Assembly member Gilyeon Cho, who has served as the chair of the provincial assembly, is reportedly being encouraged by some local residents to run for office.

A local political insider predicted, "With variables such as whether Governor Park Junghyun will run for governor, the Democratic Party's ability to maintain its support base, and the People Power Party's counterattack, this Buyeo County Governor election will be more fiercely contested than ever," adding, "Alliances between candidates, unification of candidacies, and strategic nominations could also become major variables."