[Hotbed Public Opinion - Mokpo] Kim Won-i, Park Ji-won, and Yoon So-ha in a 'Three-Way Race'... Last-Minute Variable in Promoting Medical School in Southeast Jeonnam

Candidates Kim Won-i of the Democratic Party, Park Ji-won of the Minsheng Party, and Yoon So-ha of the Justice Party, running in the Jeonnam Mokpo electoral district. (From left in the photo)
Photo by each candidate

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-Young Hwang] Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, is considered the largest battleground in the Honam region for this general election.

While Park Ji-won of the Minsheng Party is aiming for his fifth term, Kim Won, a former Deputy Mayor of Seoul and the Democratic Party candidate, and Yoon So-ha, a proportional representative candidate from the Justice Party, have thrown their hats into the ring.

A rare three-way race has formed in Jeollanam-do, a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

The fierce competition among the three candidates has driven up early voting rates.

Out of 189,665 registered voters in Mokpo, 73,003 (38.49%) participated in early voting.

The early voting rate in Mokpo is higher than the Jeollanam-do early voting rate (35.77%), which ranks first among metropolitan local governments.

The three candidates offered different interpretations of the high early voting rate in the area.

Candidate Kim said, "This is the result of the citizens' desire for a new Mokpo."

Candidate Park interpreted, "The high voter turnout is because the citizens of Mokpo are flooding the polling stations to keep Park Ji-won alive in Mokpo."

Candidate Yoon, referring to Mokpo's high early voting rate, appealed, "Please choose candidate number 6, Yoon So-ha, and the Justice Party to overturn the giant two-party structure and create the 21st National Assembly that reflects the true will of the people."

According to public opinion polls, candidate Kim is leading.

All three polls registered with the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission on the 9th showed candidate Kim in the lead.

However, in two polls, the gap between candidates Kim and Park was within the margin of error, while one poll showed a gap beyond the margin of error.

According to a survey conducted by SBS and Ipsos from the 5th to the 8th targeting 501 Mokpo voters, candidate Kim received 40.8%, candidate Park 34.3%, and candidate Yoon 16.4%.

The gap between candidates Kim and Park was 6.5 percentage points, within the margin of error (±4.4 percentage points). (For detailed information, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.)

In the question about the likelihood of winning, candidate Kim received 45.4%, and candidate Park 34.8%.

In a survey conducted by Dong-A Ilbo and Research & Research on the 8th targeting 502 adults aged 18 and over residing in Mokpo, candidate Kim received 39.2%, candidate Park 31.3%, and candidate Yoon 16.3%.

The gap between candidates Kim and Park was 7.9 percentage points, also within the margin of error (±4.4 percentage points).

In the question about the likelihood of winning, candidate Kim received 43.5%, and candidate Park 29.3%, widening the gap.

However, in a poll conducted by YTN and Realmeter on the 7th and 8th, candidate Kim received 48.9%, candidate Park 30.2%, and candidate Yoon 12.0%.

The gap between candidates Kim and Park was 18.7 percentage points, exceeding the margin of error.

In the question about the likelihood of winning, candidate Kim received 53.3%, and candidate Park 33.5%.

There is an analysis that the controversy over the promotion of a medical school in the southeastern region of Jeollanam-do, which surfaced in the final stages of the election, could become a variable affecting voter sentiment.

The establishment of a medical school has long been a wish of Jeollanam-do, with Mokpo City and Suncheon City competing by proposing Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University, respectively.

Regarding the policy research practice agreement ceremony for the establishment of a southeastern medical school, held by Yang Jeong-cheol, director of the Democratic Research Institute, and So Byung-chul, Democratic Party candidate (Jeollanam-do Suncheon), candidates Park and Yoon accused the Democratic Party of deciding to concentrate the medical school in Suncheon and called for candidate Kim's withdrawal.

On the morning of the 13th, candidate Park held a press conference in front of the main gate of Mokpo City Hall, claiming, "The Democratic Research Institute's signing of the policy research practice agreement for the southeastern medical school is the Democratic Party central party abandoning candidate Kim Won and concentrating the medical school in Suncheon."

Candidate Park also urged, "Candidate Kim Won, who has mocked the citizens of Mokpo, should withdraw, and the Democratic Party should apologize."

Candidate Yoon also held a head-shaving ceremony in front of Mokpo City Hall that day and began a 48-hour emergency action.

Candidate Yoon stated, "What we feared has been confirmed as true," and claimed, "The Democratic Party has once again used and sold out the Mokpo National University medical school, which is the wish of the citizens of Mokpo, for the election."

In response, candidate Kim issued a statement saying, "The issue of attracting the Mokpo National University College of Medicine and university hospital has completed the Ministry of Education's national project and is on the verge of fruition," and appealed, "Please elect me with overwhelming support so that we can protect the Mokpo National University College of Medicine."

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