Kim Boo-kyum Running for Daegu Mayor? Unlikely to Happen

Growing Calls Within the Democratic Party for Kim Boo-kyum to Run
Polls Show Kim Leading the Race
Close Aides Dismiss the Possibility

Will former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum run for mayor of Daegu? Within the Democratic Party, there is growing momentum to recruit Kim, who was elected in Suseong-gap, Daegu, in 2020. The People Power Party is in disarray, and as President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings hover around 60 percent, there is a sense that even in Daegu, known as the "heart of conservatism," the race may be competitive. In a National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted nationwide by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from February 23 to 25 using wireless phone interviews with 1,002 men and women aged 18 and older, both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party recorded 28 percent support in Daegu. On February 12, a separate poll reported that former Prime Minister Kim outperformed lawmakers Chu Kyung-ho and Joo Ho-young as the most suitable candidate for Daegu mayor. (For more details, refer to the website of the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission.)

Perhaps for this reason, Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker, predicted, "Former Prime Minister Kim will take the stage." The Democratic Party's Daegu City Chapter is also hoping for Kim's candidacy. They believe that if Kim leads the entire local election campaign in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the overall atmosphere could change dramatically. This is why speculation about Kim Boo-kyum's candidacy, given his centrist and unifying image, continues. The Democratic Party has never won the mayoralty of Daegu in the history of local elections.

Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum (left) and then Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung met at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, on February 24, 2025. Photo by National Assembly Photographers Group

However, the likelihood of a "Kim Boo-kyum candidacy" becoming a reality does not appear high. Song Young-gil, former Democratic Party leader, who visited Daegu on the 28th of last month, remarked, "We should stop forcing those without the will to run into candidacy. Rather than clinging to former Prime Minister Kim, I hope party members rally behind former lawmaker Hong Ui-rak." While some say Song misread the situation, that's not necessarily the case.

Most importantly, former Prime Minister Kim has not expressed any intention to run. One close aide to Kim questioned, "Is it impossible to hold an election in Daegu without former Prime Minister Kim?" They added that since the Democratic Party is not in a particularly difficult position overall, it cannot be called a sacrifice, and since Kim has already declared his retirement from politics, there is no compelling reason for him to return. When asked, "Then why not just declare he won't run?" the aide replied, "He doesn't even want to say that." Another longtime aide to Kim said, "He has no intention of going to Daegu." The aide also noted that even if Kim were to run, he would have no chance of winning: "In the current climate, with the Democratic Party leading the overall trend, Daegu voters might instead consolidate around the People Power Party during the election."

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