Next Year's Sejong Mayoral Election: Mayor Minho Choi Seeks Re-Election as Democratic Party Aims to Reclaim Office

Lee Kisoon, Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Mentioned as People Power Party Candidate
Democratic Party Considers Ko Junil, Jo Sangho, Bae Sunho, and Former Mayor Lee Chunhee

Interest is gathering on who will take the position of the 5th mayor of Sejong ahead of next year's June 3 local elections. On the People Power Party side, current mayor Minho Choi is known to be running unopposed in the primary, while multiple figures are being mentioned within the Democratic Party of Korea. / Photo by Kiwan Kim

Sejong Special Self-Governing City, which holds metropolitan legal status, was launched in 2012 as the 17th metropolitan local government in South Korea.

It is the only metropolitan-status city with a single-tier administrative structure, having neither autonomous district offices nor appointed district offices. As a city that handles both metropolitan and basic administrative affairs, attention is focusing on the pool of candidates for the 5th mayor of Sejong ahead of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections scheduled for June next year.

Since the establishment of Sejong City, candidates with administrative backgrounds rather than political ones have been elected as mayor. This has led to a prevailing opinion that the 5th mayor of Sejong should be a candidate who can effectively demonstrate both political and administrative capabilities to address the pressing task of completing Sejong as the administrative capital.

In the recent early presidential election, the Democratic Party of Korea regained power, and the approval rating in the Sejong region recorded the highest in the country. Even in the eup and myeon areas, which have traditionally had strong conservative tendencies, the Democratic Party of Korea’s support was high. For example, in Jochiwon-eup, Lee Jaemyung received 47.4% and Kim Moonsoo received 42.7%, resulting in a victory for candidate Lee.

Political circles have interpreted this as a tectonic shift in support tendencies. For the upcoming local elections next year, the Democratic Party of Korea’s strategy is to reclaim the mayoralty of Sejong by maintaining the support of citizens, as was the case in the recent presidential election.

It is virtually confirmed that current Sejong mayor Minho Choi of the People Power Party will run for re-election. He has been recognized for leading the administration and serving as a central figure in a political landscape where the opposition holds a majority in the region.

Mayor Choi has held positions such as Director of the Local Decentralization Promotion Planning Team at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs of South Chungcheong Province, Director of the Personnel Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Chairman of the Appeals Commission at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 5th Administrator of the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Agency, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, member of the National Assembly Privilege Reduction Promotion Committee, Vice Chair of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party, and Chair of the Sejong City Party Committee of the People Power Party. He was elected as the 4th mayor of Sejong in the 2022 local elections with a vote share of 52.83%. He is evaluated as having extensive experience in both administration and politics.

Within his own party, Lee Junbae, Chair of the Sejong City Party Committee, was mentioned as a potential rival to Mayor Choi. However, as Lee aspires to become a member of the National Assembly, he appears to have stepped back to support Mayor Choi’s re-election. Lee Kisoon, former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is also being discussed as a potential candidate. From the People Power Party’s perspective, there are suggestions that the party needs genuine competition to boost approval ratings, and that the role of “pace makers” is also necessary.

Having overwhelmingly surpassed the People Power Party’s support in conservative areas during the last presidential election, the Democratic Party of Korea is now more confident. With multiple candidates emerging, the race is becoming increasingly competitive. First, Ko Junil, Chair of the Sejong City Autonomy and Decentralization Forum, is being mentioned. Ko, who has served as a two-term metropolitan council member and Chair of the Sejong City Council, is recognized as a leading figure in his 40s within the region. He has also held party positions such as Director of General Affairs at the Chungnam Provincial Democratic Party and Deputy Director of the Civil Affairs Office of the Democratic United Party.

Jo Sangho, Director of the Saeroun Saenggak Research Institute, has also declared his candidacy. He previously served as Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Sejong City and Chief of Political Coordination at the Democratic Party of Korea. In the 2022 local elections, he ran in the primary for Sejong mayor but was defeated by Lee Chunhee, who was seeking a third term at the time.

Lee Chunhee, former mayor of Sejong who served as the 2nd and 3rd mayor and lost to Mayor Minho Choi in his bid for a third term, is also being mentioned. Lee previously served as Director of the High-Speed Rail Construction Planning Team at the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Director of the New Administrative Capital Construction Support Team at the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Administrator of the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Agency, 12th Vice Minister of Construction and Transportation, Administrator of the Saemangeum Gunsan Free Economic Zone, Chair of the Sejong City Party Committee of the Democratic Party, and Vice Chair of the National Association of Governors. It is reported that he would run if nominated by acclamation, but does not wish to go through a primary process. This is interpreted as a plan to run through a strategic nomination.

Kim Suhyeon, Executive Chair of the Democratic Innovation Conference Sejong, is also among the potential candidates. He has served as Director of the National Balanced Development Support Center, Co-Chair of the Citizens’ Coalition for the Completion of the Administrative Capital, and Executive Chair of the Basic Society Sejong Headquarters. Bae Sunho, former Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea’s Sejong City Party Committee, who was cut off in the primary process for Sejong mayor in the 2022 local elections, is also weighing another run. He has served as Vice Chair of the National Youth Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea and as spokesperson for the National Youth Committee. The Cho Kuk Innovation Party, the Reform New Party, and the Democratic Labor Party have not yet put forward any potential candidates.