The Democratic Party of Korea's Daegu mayoral hopeful Kim Boo-kyum, left, and the People Power Party's Daegu mayoral hopeful Choo Kyung-ho raise their fists together during a Labor Day event hosted by the Federation of Korean Trade Unions at Daegu Sports Complex in northern Daegu, May 1. Yonhap

What once appeared to be a near-certain landslide victory for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is becoming more competitive as the June 3 local elections approach, with conservative candidates narrowing the gap in several key battlegrounds.

The shift comes as backlash grows over the DPK’s push for a special counsel bill tied to what the ruling party calls “fabricated prosecutions” under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

The controversy has energized conservative voters in parts of the country where the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) had appeared to be collapsing only weeks ago, particularly in the southeastern strongholds of Daegu, Busan and the Gyeongsang provinces.

Political observers, however, say the overall landscape still favors the DPK, arguing that what appears to be a conservative rebound may simply reflect traditional conservative voters returning to the PPP rather than a broad shift among swing voters.

Earlier in the campaign, some analysts had floated a “15-to-1 scenario,” referring to the possibility that the DPK could win 15 of the nation’s 16 mayoral and gubernatorial races, leaving only North Gyeongsang Province in conservative hands.

However, momentum began to shift after the ruling party moved forward with the special counsel bill, which includes a provision allowing indictments in ongoing trials to be withdrawn.

Opposition parties argued that the legislation could effectively shield President Lee Jae Myung by allowing a special prosecutor appointed under his administration to nullify indictments, including cases where he or his allies are at risk.

Recent polls suggest the race has tightened in several regions.

A survey conducted by Metavoice and Research Lab for JTBC on Tuesday and Wednesday showed PPP Daegu mayoral candidate Choo Kyung-ho at 41 percent and DPK candidate Kim Boo-kyum at 40 percent, placing the race within the margin of error.

Source: Korea Times News