'Jongno Daejeon' Lee Nak-yeon and Hwang Kyo-ahn Face 'Double Burden' of Constituency Management and Support Campaigning

Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who announced his candidacy in Jongno, Seoul, is answering questions from the press before meeting with residents at the Jongno-gu Community Center on the 10th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] With the 'presidential-level' showdown in Jongno between former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon and Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn confirmed, there are expectations that their regional campaign support efforts will face considerable constraints.

According to political circles on the 10th, since the leading candidates for the next presidential election are facing off, the outcome in Jongno is expected to influence the nationwide general election landscape and even the future presidential race. In particular, Jongno is known as the political hotspot that produced former presidents such as Yun Bo-seon, Lee Myung-bak, and Roh Moo-hyun. Whoever wins this election can gain a favorable position in the next presidential competition.

Contrary to the phrase 'a preview of the presidential election,' both sides have responded calmly toward each other. When Leader Hwang announced his candidacy for Jongno on the 7th, he did not mention former Prime Minister Lee at all, and Lee, upon hearing of Hwang's Jongno candidacy, only issued a brief statement saying, "I look forward to a fair competition." This appears to consider the potential 'internal wounds' each candidate might suffer if defeated, as well as the damage to the 'judgment narrative' promoted by each party.

On the 9th, Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party who declared his candidacy for Jongno in the April 15 general election, visited the 'Youth Street' in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and made remarks after inspecting vacant stores. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Though they do not show it outwardly, their inner feelings must be complicated. This is because the expectations and roles placed on these two figures by their respective parties are significant. Former Prime Minister Lee is serving as a co-chairman of the joint campaign committee for this general election. Leader Hwang is the undisputed face representing the Liberty Korea Party. This means that beyond their own constituencies, these two must oversee their parties' entire election efforts. In particular, campaign support is one of the 'duties' they must bear.

A political insider analyzed, "Public opinion can be overturned anytime with just a breeze. It means that support can flip in the blink of an eye." He added, "Especially in Jongno, where party colors or regional affiliations are not distinct, the key is how broadly candidates can engage with residents during the campaign period."

Former Prime Minister Lee plans to simultaneously manage his constituency election and campaign support. A representative from Lee's side said, "We cannot avoid supporting campaigns in other regions and must do both simultaneously," but added, "However, given the opponent, shouldn't we put more effort into Jongno?"

Leader Hwang, who is trailing former Prime Minister Lee in various opinion polls, inevitably faces deeper concerns. This is especially true when looking back at precedents. During the 20th general election, candidate Oh Se-hoon, who ran in Jongno, maintained higher approval ratings than his opponent, then Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, but ultimately tasted defeat after heeding the party's request to campaign across the entire Seoul area.

When asked by reporters the previous day whether he planned to support elections in regions other than Jongno, Leader Hwang said, "Isn't this a general election to judge the Moon Jae-in administration?" He added, "To ensure we can judge the current government, a two-track strategy is necessary, where I will help tirelessly, even if it means losing sleep."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.