Winners and Losers Among Seoul District Mayors: A 180-Degree Shift in Status?

While district office staff are busy reporting major project plans to the elected district mayor, they avoid contact with the defeated mayor due to lack of matters to report or meet... Many suggest "leaving the defeated mayor to the deputy mayor and departing as soon as possible is better for both."

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The district heads who won the election and those who lost will feel a completely changed status, a 180-degree difference.

The district heads who ran and won in the June 1 local elections bring vitality to the district office with congratulations from employees, while those who lost tend to avoid meeting with staff altogether.

In the case of district offices like Jungnang-gu led by Ryu Gyeong-gi, who won the June 1 local elections, the atmosphere is elevated due to the difficult victory.

Senior officials at the district office are lining up to report ongoing projects.

The atmosphere is like a celebration.

On the other hand, district heads who ran but lost in the June 1 local elections face a situation where their term ends at the end of this month, and from the day after losing, they effectively stop managing district affairs.

This is due to the lame-duck phenomenon.

Even employees who benefited from the current district head avoid meeting them. They do not want to be labeled as "someone who belongs to the current district head" by the elected district head.

Especially compared to Seoul city, autonomous districts are more susceptible to political winds because the area is small and employees' tendencies are quickly understood.

Among the losing district heads, some visit community service centers to encourage staff or meet residents, but this also places a burden on employees.

One autonomous district official said, “It would be better if the losing district head took a vacation immediately after the election and did not come out, but some insist on fulfilling their term, which is regrettable.”

The official added, “The losing district head is in a position where no one wants to meet them because there is nothing to approve and they are not in a good state to be seen.”

Because of this, a growing sentiment is emerging that it would be better for the losing district head to delegate duties to the deputy district head and take a vacation, which would be beneficial for both themselves and the employees.

A former director of a Seoul autonomous district said, “One district head in Seoul’s 7th elected term took a vacation immediately after losing the election and did not come to work, which was a wise move.”

It is the sorrow of an elected district head, but this is the reality.

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