With less than 30 days remaining until the June 3 local elections, the two main parties have finalized their candidate lineups. While the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has fielded many fresh faces, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is largely relying on incumbent mayors and governors.

Out of 17 metropolitan cities and provinces in the 2022 elections, the then-ruling PPP won a landslide victory, securing 12 regions, including major cities like Seoul, Busan and Incheon.

However, since President Lee Jae Myung took power last year after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for leading an insurrection linked to his martial law declaration, the approval ratings of Yoon's party, the PPP, have continued to drop, at one point plummeting to 15 percent in a poll.

Amid the low support ratings, the conservative party is struggling to find promising candidates, ultimately fielding 11 incumbent heads of cities and provinces. In contrast, many of the DPK's candidates are figures close to the president, whose approval rating has stood at around 60 percent in recent months.

This time, the number of major cities and provinces is 16, down from 17, as Gwangju and South Jeolla Province will merge in July. One mayor will be selected for the new integrated municipality.

Lee’s picks vs. incumbent chiefs in greater Seoul area

Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan areas, including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, appear to have the biggest battlegrounds in the upcoming local elections. Several polls show the DPK candidates are leading, but the outcome is not certain, as the PPP has fielded incumbent chiefs in Seoul and Incheon and a high-profile candidate in Gyeonggi Province.

In Seoul, DPK candidate Chong Won-o, a former three-term head of Seoul’s Seongdong District endorsed by the president, will face PPP candidate Oh Se-hoon, the incumbent Seoul mayor who is seeking a record fifth term.

In Incheon, the DPK fielded Park Chan-dae, who worked closely with Lee as floor leader when the president was the DPK leader. Park will compete with PPP candidate Yoo Jeong-bok, the incumbent Incheon mayor who is seeking a third term.

In Gyeonggi Province, the DPK's Choo Mi-ae will compete against the PPP's Yang Hyang-ja, who is known for her rise from humble beginnings to become Samsung Electronics’ first female executive without a university degree. Choo, meanwhile, is a veteran politician, having completed six terms as a lawmaker, as well as being a former DPK chair and former justice minister under the Moon Jae-in administration. It is the only race between two female candidates.

Source: Korea Times News