"Online Public Opinion Chooses Naju Mayor Yoon Byungtae"...Ranks First in K-Brand Index

Consistent Municipal Message Based on Innovation City Earns Positive Reviews
Strong Performance Amid Shifts at the Top and Fierce Competition in the Middle Tier
Analysis Points to Intensifying "Reputation Competition" Among Jeollado Local Government Heads

Yoon Byeongtae, mayor of Naju, ranked first in the Jeolla Province local government heads category of the 'K-Brand Index'. Provided by the Asia Brand Research Institute.

Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, ranked first in the Jeollado local government heads category of the "K-Brand Index" announced by the big data evaluation agency Asia Brand Research Institute.

This K-Brand Index category for Jeollado local government heads analyzed 1,022,186 online big data cases collected from January 1 to 31 this year, targeting the heads of 20 basic local governments in South and North Jeolla Provinces. Offline reputation and similar factors were not reflected.

As a result, Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, topped the Jeollado local government heads category. He was followed by Woo Beomki, Mayor of Jeonju (2nd), Roh Gwangyu, Mayor of Suncheon (3rd), Lee Haksoo, Mayor of Jeongeup (4th), Jung Heonyul, Mayor of Iksan (5th), Gong Youngmin, Governor of Goheung County (6th), Choi Kyungsik, Mayor of Namwon (7th), Jung Sungjoo, Mayor of Gimje (8th), Woo Seunghee, Governor of Yeongam County (9th), and Shin Ucheol, Governor of Wando County (10th), who all made it into the top 10.

The institute analyzed that Mayor Yoon Byungtae of Naju showed an advantage in positive indicators by maintaining a consistent municipal administration message based on the innovation city.

In fact, Naju has continuously been mentioned online in connection with issues such as attracting an artificial sun research facility, the relocation of public institutions, and the fostering of energy and data industries, which are all part of future industry discourse. This appears to have given Naju an edge more in "positive and negative sentiment analysis" than in simple exposure frequency. According to the institute, the accumulation of such positive evaluations has translated into what is perceived as "solid leadership."

In contrast, the fluctuation in rankings in the middle tier was relatively large. In the middle tier, Jung Sungjoo, Mayor of Gimje, newly entered the rankings at 8th place, while Kim San, Governor of Muan County, who had previously been in the upper tier, was pushed out of the top 10, which stands out.

This suggests that online issue management and policy promotion strategies may have had a direct impact on the rankings. With the upcoming local elections in June, competition among local government heads over "image management" is expected to intensify further.