June 3 Local Election Race Begins... Gwangju and South Jeolla Politics Enter "Primary Mode"

Preliminary candidate registration for mayors, district heads, and local council members begins on February 20
Democratic Party accelerates nomination screenings, aims to finalize candidates by April 20
Special Mayor primary rules a key variable, with region-based primaries and citizens' jury system under discussion

With the schedule for the 9th Nationwide Local Elections now in full swing, the political circles in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province are rapidly shifting into election mode. As registration for preliminary candidates begins, political parties are also accelerating their nomination screenings and primary preparations.

According to the National Election Commission and others on February 19, a total of 429 elected public officials will be newly chosen in the 9th Nationwide Local Elections to be held on June 3 this year. This includes 1 metropolitan mayor and 1 superintendent of education, 27 heads of basic local governments, 84 metropolitan council members, and 316 basic council members, amid talk of a possible election of an integrated mayor.

The registration schedule for preliminary candidates will also proceed in stages. Registration for preliminary candidates in mayor and district head elections, as well as city and provincial council and city and district council elections, will begin on February 20, while registration for preliminary candidates in metropolitan mayor and superintendent of education elections has been underway since February 3. Registration for preliminary candidates in county head and county council elections will follow from March 22.

Once registered as a preliminary candidate, a person is allowed to engage in a certain range of electioneering activities, including setting up an election office, distributing business cards, sending text messages and emails, and mailing campaign materials to up to 10% of households in the constituency. Wearing a sash and publishing a campaign pledge booklet are also permitted, and candidates may form a support association to raise donations up to 50% of the legal cap on campaign expenses.

The Democratic Party of Korea is formalizing its nomination procedures. Since January 12, it has formed and operated the Central Party Nomination Management Committee, Nomination Reconsideration Committee, Election Management Committee, and Strategic Nomination Management Committee to begin vetting candidates. Interviews for preliminary candidates for the first Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Mayor are scheduled to take place on February 23-24, and the preliminary primary is planned to begin in early March.

Nomination screenings by local party organizations are also under way. The Gwangju City Party reported that, in response to its call for applicants, 171 people applied: 22 for the five district head posts, 61 for metropolitan council seats, and 88 for basic council seats. In South Jeolla Province, 692 people had completed applications as of February 12. The city and provincial parties plan to conduct on-site inspections by constituency and then proceed with interviews for preliminary candidates. The Democratic Party aims to complete nominations for all constituencies by April 20.

The number of candidates who will actually compete in the primaries is expected to change as they undergo thorough vetting, cutoffs, individual plus/minus point adjustments, and Central Party approval procedures. In particular, political attention is focused on what criteria the city and provincial party nomination management committees will apply.

The method for selecting the Special Mayor is also regarded as a key variable. In light of differences in population and party membership size, various options are being discussed in addition to the existing method of "50% rights-holding party members and 50% public opinion polls," including combining a citizens' jury system, holding region-based primaries, and using preference voting. Whether the National Assembly Special Committee on Political Reform adopts a medium-sized constituency system, expands proportional representation, and adjusts the number of metropolitan council seats for the Special City is also expected to be a factor that could shape the future primary landscape.

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