Ruling and Opposition Leaders Fully Mobilized for Gangseo By-election... Criticism of 'Excessive Effort'

Kim Jong-in "Using full effort to elect basic local heads?"
Lee Jun-seok "Possibility of Won Hee-ryong transitioning to emergency committee"

With just 7 days left until the Gangseo District Mayor by-election, the leadership of both ruling and opposition parties are continuously providing support. The reason is that this by-election is seen as a barometer for next year's general election. However, some in the political circle argue that putting too much effort into it could backfire.

Kim Jong-in, a veteran politician and former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, criticized the party leadership's all-out effort in the Gangseo District Mayor by-election during CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 4th, saying, "Electing a district mayor, the most basic local government head, and the party pouring so much energy into it only proves its own vulnerability."

One week before the by-election for the Mayor of Gangseo District, banners of candidates from both ruling and opposition parties are hung near the Hwagog Station intersection in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

He especially pointed out that in the case of the ruling party, the leadership should take responsibility if they lose. Former emergency committee chairman Kim said, "I don't think it's a situation where all passion should be devoted," adding, "It is the wisest approach to let the basic local government by-election pass by without the general public knowing or caring much, but they cannot tolerate that."

He further suggested that if the ruling party loses, "someone will have to take responsibility. If that happens, the internal situation of the People Power Party will likely become quite complicated," implying that it could also affect the metropolitan area general election.

The ruling party is mobilizing its entire leadership to support the Gangseo District Mayor by-election, just 7 days away. Senior lawmaker Kwon Young-se, presidential hopeful Ahn Cheol-soo, and former lawmaker Na Kyung-won have also joined the campaign committee. This is why there are expectations that the aftermath of a defeat could be significant. Moreover, the ruling party candidate Kim Tae-woo, former Gangseo District Mayor, ran immediately after being pardoned and reinstated, so a loss could even impact President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Former party leader Lee Jun-seok predicted on KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live' on the 2nd that "the ruling party will lose by an 18 percentage point margin," and suggested that this would end Kim Ki-hyun's leadership and lead to a transition to an emergency committee system with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong as chairman. On the other hand, People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung predicted a close race on MBC Radio, saying, "In my view, whoever wins, it is likely to be a very tight election."

The opposition party is also focusing support on candidate Jin Gyo-hoon with its new floor leadership, and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, having ended his hunger strike and returned, is expected to support the Gangseo District Mayor by-election. For the opposition, this by-election is a barometer to see if Lee's leadership remains strong after the approval of the arrest motion.

Just as former President Park Geun-hye, when she was the emergency committee chair of the Saenuri Party, overcame a cutter knife attack and still managed to secure victory in the election by personally attending to the Daejeon area, the Democratic Party hopes that Lee's return will bring a positive wind to the Gangseo District by-election. However, Kim Sung-tae, co-campaign committee chairman for the People Power Party in the Gangseo District Mayor by-election, dismissed this, saying, "The desperate situation of former emergency committee chair Park Geun-hye, who endured a violent attack and serious injury yet devoted herself to the election, cannot be compared to Lee's current situation."

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