[Going to the Battleground] "Young Ambition" vs "Regime Judgment" vs "Defending the Stronghold"... Three-Way Battle in Uijeongbu-gap

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] A spirited young man who used to be a firefighter and a seasoned worker from the city council are clashing over the Geumbadge of Uijeongbu Gap. While the progressive camp is generally dominant, attention is focused on whether the conservative opposition candidate, who advocates a 'regime judgment theory' and the 'Jo Guk Prevention Act,' will succeed in a last-minute comeback. Interest is also drawn to how well Moon Seok-gyun, an independent candidate well known as the son of Moon Hee-sang, the six-term National Assembly Speaker from Uijeongbu Gap, will perform.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, I visited the western square of Uijeongbu Station, one of the central areas of Uijeongbu Gap. Due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), shops and streets were empty, but as soon as I exited through Exit 3, the election banners caught my eye, vividly reminding me that an election was underway. Three banners of Oh Young-hwan, the Democratic Party candidate, were posted on the exterior wall of a building, and on the opposite building's exterior wall, four banners of candidate Moon were posted in competition.

Oh candidate's banners featured phrases such as 'The one who saves,' 'Oh Young-hwan chosen by the Democratic Party,' and 'A powerful ruling party candidate, a young worker,' while Moon candidate's banners included phrases like 'Who can do better?' and 'A choice for Uijeongbu.' Both used the Democratic Party's symbolic blue color. Without seeing the candidate numbers and party names, one might easily mistake them for two Democratic Party candidates. The tension between Moon, who initially planned to run in this area but withdrew amid 'dad chance' controversy and is now running as an independent, and Oh was palpable even from the banners.

What do voters think? An anonymous male voter (64 years old) said, "Moon's father, Speaker Moon, has been in Uijeongbu Gap for a long time, but what has he contributed to regional development?" He added, "Oh, a former firefighter, seems inexperienced in politics, so I will vote for Kang Se-chang of the United Future Party." A female merchant in her 70s said, "I have my own troubles," and added, "They're all the same, but I will decide when I go to the polling station," withholding further comment.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Democratic Party supporters expressed strong support for Oh. A 60-year-old male voter said, "I am a hardcore Democratic Party supporter. I will definitely vote for number 1," adding, "If Moon had been nominated, maybe, but (it's difficult)." A merchant in their 60s selling sundries near the station also said, "I prefer the young candidate number 1. I originally dislike number 2," and added, "I don't know why Moon ran when he doesn't meet the conditions."

However, compared to Kang and Moon, who have clear local bases, Oh's ties to the region are relatively weak. I also heard that Moon said Oh "has no local ties." In response, Oh said, "The facts are incorrect. I was born in Dongducheon and attended elementary school in Uijeongbu. Currently, the election commission is investigating Moon's preliminary promotional materials, which describe me as a 'candidate with no ties to Uijeongbu.'" He added, "Whether someone is a native or not does not help Uijeongbu's development at all."

In opposition, Kang proposed the 'Jo Guk Prevention Act,' which requires original documents to be kept for five years during university and graduate school admissions and then permanently stored electronically. This aligns with the 'regime judgment theory' among opposition supporters. Kang said, "With the Jo Guk Prevention Act, we will eradicate unfair admissions and enable young people to dream of a hopeful future," criticizing Oh by saying, "Regarding the Jo Guk incident, Oh claimed that 'all parents at the time routinely engaged in these practices, but the issue was excessively exaggerated in the media.'"

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