10.11 By-election Approaching, Atmosphere in Seoul Gangseo-gu 'Calm'

Atmosphere Among Public Officials in Seoul Gangseo-gu Ahead of By-election for District Mayor is ‘Quiet’

“The atmosphere within the district office is quiet.”

This was the comment from an executive, Mr. A, regarding the mood at the Gangseo District Office ahead of the by-election for the Seoul Gangseo District Mayor scheduled for October 11.

This is because, over the 30-year history of local autonomy, the political neutrality of public officials has been somewhat established.

Another executive, Mr. B, also said, “Acting District Mayor Park Dae-woo emphasized that public officials should carry out their assigned duties with a politically neutral stance regardless of the election,” adding that it is difficult to detect any political movements.

The Gangseo District Mayor by-election is being held because former District Mayor Kim Tae-woo lost his position after receiving a sentence of one year in prison and two years probation from the Supreme Court in May for allegedly leaking information obtained while working as a member of the Blue House’s special inspection team.

Former Mayor Kim claims he was a whistleblower who was unfairly judged because he was disliked by the previous administration.

He asserts that his whistleblowing led to former Minister Cho Kuk being found guilty in the first trial and former Busan City Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo being convicted by the Supreme Court, thus portraying himself as a righteous whistleblower.

However, the judgment of the law was harsh, and former Mayor Kim was forced to step down following the Supreme Court ruling.

Accordingly, both ruling and opposition parties are busily maneuvering over how to field candidates for the October 11 by-election.

The Democratic Party of Korea initially had 13 preliminary candidates, including many former city council members, and is expected to narrow down the candidate pool after the 18th.

The People Power Party appears determined to have former Mayor Kim run again, as he was reinstated by a special pardon on August 15 and has expressed his intention to “return to Gangseo.”

However, both major parties seem to be struggling with how to select their candidates.

Meanwhile, Gangseo District Office employees are quietly carrying out their assigned duties to avoid any political entanglements.

In past elections, public officials have been punished for actions such as ‘liking’ candidates’ Facebook posts, so political neutrality among public officials is very strictly enforced.

Until the district mayor, who is the worker elected by the residents, is decided, public officials should simply fulfill their assigned duties.

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