[Going to the Battleground] Political Center Yeongdeungpo-eul, Kim Min-seok "One-on-One with Conservatives"... Park Yong-chan "Unification Until the End"

Yeongdeungpo-eul Kim Min-seok vs Park Yong-chan Candidate Interview

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Sung Ki-ho] Kim Min-seok, the "rookie who doesn't seem like a rookie," a candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea who returned to Yeongdeungpo after 20 years, and Park Yong-chan, the "voice of the main opposition party," a candidate from the United Future Party, face off in Yeongdeungpo-eul, considered the political center of Seoul. Lee Jung-hyun, a former Saenuri Party leader known as "the voice of former President Park Geun-hye," is also running as an independent, which splits the conservative vote and gives Kim an advantage, but the possibility of last-minute unification cannot be ruled out. Kim emphasized, "The confrontation is ultimately a one-on-one battle between progressives and conservatives." Park also said, "I will put all my efforts into unification."

On the 2nd, while campaigning at the crosswalk in front of the Samik Apartment in Yeouido-dong, Kim told Asia Economy in an interview, "The atmosphere among local residents is relatively warm," expressing his feelings about his return. While studying sociology at Seoul National University, he served as student council president, entered the 15th general election as the youngest candidate, and was elected in Yeongdeungpo-eul. He was re-elected in the 16th election. Having left politics for 20 years due to violations of the Political Funds Act, he made a spectacular comeback in the 21st general election. Among the residents passing by, many recognized him after receiving his business card, saying, "Ah, Kim Min-seok."

In a situation where proper campaigning is difficult due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the fact that many residents recognize him is a positive sign. Kim said, "It's naturally difficult to conduct traditional campaign activities. It's true that actively approaching people to greet and shake hands is hard," but added, "Today is the first time I am purely greeting voters without engaging in quarantine activities, and relatively many local residents recognize me."

The political inclination of Yeongdeungpo-eul is hard to define as leaning strongly to one side. In the past eight general elections, areas like Singil and Daerim-dong, which have many multi-family houses, tend to have more progressive voters. On the other hand, Yeouido-dong, densely populated with apartment complexes, leans conservative. Therefore, even for Kim, who was re-elected before, victory is not guaranteed. Kim said, "Actually, Yeouido-dong is our party's most vulnerable area," adding, "There has been a friendly atmosphere regardless of party affiliation in the past. I don't know how people will vote." There is also the variable of conservative candidates unifying. However, Kim said, "It doesn't have much significance," and added, "Whether progressive or conservative, votes eventually tend to concentrate on the side that gains slightly more votes. I have prepared thinking it will be a one-on-one fight."

Park is also a rookie politician but has high recognition as a former MBC anchor. Additionally, the fact that he has lived in Yeongdeungpo for 45 years since his youth strongly appeals to local voters. Regarding the recognition competition with Kim, he said, "Recognition levels rise to a certain extent for all candidates until just before the election," and added, "When voters see the promotional materials or official bulletins we send, they will have an answer on which candidate to choose."

He emphasized innovative change in the underdeveloped Yeongdeungpo-eul area along with the "government judgment theory." Park analyzed, "Meeting voters, I found criticism of the Moon Jae-in government is much stronger than expected," and said, "Especially as the election approaches, the public opinion that the Moon administration's reckless actions must be judged is spreading further." He continued, "Although new apartments like Singil-dong New Town have been built in Yeongdeungpo-eul, development remains half-hearted," and raised his voice, saying, "There must be groundbreaking changes based on new leadership through redevelopment and regional regeneration projects." Regarding the unification issue with candidate Lee, he said, "I will push for unification without giving up until the end of the election," and warned, "If unification fails, many voters hoping for a free-right victory will express extreme disappointment and anger."

Local public sentiment is not clearly divided between conservatives and progressives. There is also a significant number of moderate voters who do not appear in opinion polls. A woman in her 70s who runs a store in Yeouido-dong said, "There is no one in this neighborhood who doesn't know Kim Min-seok. I vividly remember when Kim campaigned in the elementary school playground while he was an incumbent," expressing her intention to vote for Kim.

An elderly man in his 80s met near Sinpung Station intersection criticized the current administration, saying, "The government's populist policies of giving away benefits are burdening future generations," but showed a moderate stance, saying, "I will vote after seeing the candidates' promotional materials." A male customer in his 40s who visited a store said, "Among the candidates, Kim has the highest recognition, but Yeouido-dong has a strong conservative base, and many people say, 'You should vote based on the party, not the person,'" conveying the atmosphere.

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