Attention on Whether Former and Incumbent Mayors Will Face Off Again in Next Year's Gongju Mayoral Election

People Power Party: Woncheol Choi, Incumbent Mayor, and Hyukjong Kim, Chief Secretary to the Governor, in the Spotlight
Democratic Party: Former Mayor Jungseop Kim and City Council Chairman Dalhee Lim in a Competitive Race

From the left in the photo: Woncheol Choi, Mayor of Gongju City; Hyukjong Kim, Chief Secretary to the Governor of Chungnam Province; Jungseop Kim, former Mayor of Gongju City; Dalhee Lim, Chairman of Gongju City Council / Photo by Byungryul Lee

With the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3 next year, the race for the mayoralty of Gongju City in Chungnam Province is heating up. Four leading candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties are engaged in behind-the-scenes competition, signaling that the party primaries may be even fiercer than the general election itself.

Within the People Power Party, the main contenders are the incumbent mayor, Woncheol Choi, and Hyukjong Kim, Chief Secretary to the Governor of Chungnam Province. For the Democratic Party, the likely candidates are Jungseop Kim, former mayor, and Dalhee Lim, Chairman of Gongju City Council, creating a four-way contest.

Mayor Woncheol Choi is widely regarded as having led the 8th popularly elected administration in a relatively stable manner, making it highly likely that he will seek re-election. He is confident in his competitiveness for the general election, leveraging the advantages of incumbency, organizational strength, and name recognition.

However, the involvement of some civil servants in corruption allegations may become a liability, as Gongju City's low integrity index could work against him. Additionally, apart from former mayor Lee Junwon, there are few precedents of mayors being re-elected in the city, which is another variable.

As a result, Hyukjong Kim, Chief Secretary to the Governor of Chungnam Province, who faced off against Mayor Choi in the party primary during the last local election, is once again drawing attention.

After failing to secure the nomination in the primary, Kim joined Governor Kim Taeheum's campaign, contributing to his victory and expanding his political influence. Having served as both a parliamentary aide and in the political affairs line at the provincial government, Kim is reportedly being urged by local residents to run in the local elections, while also being offered the position of regional party chair by political circles, leaving him deliberating his next political move.

For the Democratic Party, former mayor Jungseop Kim and Dalhee Lim, Chairman of Gongju City Council, are being mentioned as potential candidates.

Former mayor Kim has continued to engage with local residents since his defeat in the last election, preparing for a political comeback.

Chairman Dalhee Lim is seeking to transition from a watchdog role to a new leader of city administration, emphasizing his experience in overseeing local government and proposing policy alternatives as the head of the city council.

Recently, Lim has been increasing his public activities and making more statements on current issues, thereby raising his profile.

A local political source commented, "Chairman Lim enjoys strong trust from National Assembly member Park Soo-hyun," predicting that this could become a variable in the party primary dynamics.