[Going to the Battleground] Kim Woong Leading with Key Figures, Party's Full Support for Jo Jaehee... Who Will Win 'Songpa-gap'?

Conservative Stronghold for 32 Years... Joy and Sorrow Separated by 2,300 Votes 4 Years Ago
'Songpa Native' Jo Jaehee vs 'Star Prosecutor' Kim Woong Showdown

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The Seoul Songpa-gap district, which includes Jamsil Lotte Tower and Jangmi Apartments, is considered a conservative stronghold even within Seoul. Four years ago, when the neighboring districts Songpa-eul and Songpa-byeong were taken by the Democratic Party of Korea, Songpa-gap remained unshaken for 32 years.

However, a variable has emerged in Songpa-gap. Reconstruction has begun in some apartments in Jamsil, which had a strong conservative support base, scattering voters. Combining Jinju Apartments, Miseong Apartments, and Clover Apartments, there are 2,920 households. In the last 20th general election, the Saenuri Party (now the United Future Party) barely won by a margin of 2,300 votes. This is why the Democratic Party calls it a "winnable district," while the United Future Party calls it a "difficult district."

Photo by Jaehee Cho Campaign

◆ Jo Jaehee, a '30-year Songpa resident'... "A neighbor you can meet anytime, please support me" = Candidate Jo has lived only in Songpa-gu for 30 years. "I have never left. I am a proud neighbor and brother, someone you can always share a glass of Makgeolli with." At the campaign site in Bangi Market on the 7th, Candidate Jo repeatedly emphasized being a 'local.'

At the campaign site that day, Floor Leader Lee In-young accompanied him. Leader Lee repeatedly bowed to the citizens, urging them to "support Candidate Jo." He praised him, saying, "To overcome the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), we need an expert like Candidate Jo. He was the one who resolved the separation of prescribing and dispensing during the Kim Dae-jung administration and created our current national health insurance system."

Candidate Jo responded, "During the IMF economic crisis, I helped President Kim Dae-jung overcome the IMF crisis and establish a social safety net. If I become a member of the National Assembly with the support of local residents, I will revive the Korean economy once again." In particular, he appealed to the Bangi Market merchants, saying, "I will make Bangi Market a landmark comparable to the Lotte Department Store across the street. Please give me your support."

The market merchants recognized and welcomed Candidate Jo. A sashimi restaurant owner cheered him on, saying, "He is from our neighborhood," as he greeted him. A citizen eating at a market restaurant welcomed him with "Come in, brother," creating a scene of conversation inside the restaurant. A woman in her 60s clasped Candidate Jo's hands as soon as she saw him and cheered, "Please win the election."

The citizen said, "He is sincere. I support the president, the party, and the candidate," adding, "The country is struggling, so we need to cooperate, but when I see the opposition party, I feel anger as a citizen. I hope he wins this time and completes the prosecution reform."

Photo by Candidate Kim Woong's Campaign Team

◆ Kim Woong, 'a humble man unlike a prosecutor'... "I will become a figure representing Songpa" = "Pharmacist, I am here to introduce Candidate Kim Woong." The MC who boarded the campaign vehicle with Kim, the United Future Party candidate, repeatedly emphasized the name 'Kim Woong.' Each time, Candidate Kim responded with a gentle smile, bowing his head and greeting market merchants and passing citizens. Citizens responded with hand hearts or raised both hands, cheering, "Win," and "Absolute victory."

Candidate Kim became known through his book 'Prosecutor's Office,' which detailed cases he solved during his time as a prosecutor and the internal organizational culture of the prosecution office. This book earned him the nickname "a prosecutor who is not authoritarian, a prosecutor unlike other prosecutors," a lifestyle-type prosecutor. His confidence in campaigning by highlighting his personality comes from this. He said, "When I campaign, I feel that expectations for change are greater. People are most proud of the newly built Lotte Tower and want to reconstruct the old buildings. I sense a strong public opinion that a figure representing this area and fitting for Songpa should emerge."

He emphasized that the most urgent local issue is "lifting reconstruction restrictions." Candidate Kim said, "The government is currently regulating reconstruction arbitrarily through enforcement ordinances and notifications. I will legalize these regulations so they cannot be arbitrarily imposed." He also pledged to prevent sharp increases in official land prices and expand exemptions for property taxes. He added, "In places like the Olympic Athletes' Village Apartments, many residents have lived there since 1989. For single-person households or long-term owners, there should be exemptions for property taxes. Taxing uniformly for the government's convenience is violent."

Regarding the Democratic Party candidates in the Gangnam 3 districts proposing to ease comprehensive real estate taxes only for single-homeowners and the response from Senior Joint Election Committee Chairman Lee Nak-yeon, Candidate Kim said, "Isn't this just election season behavior? The government should be persuaded before speaking to voters."

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