[Incheon Mayor] What Will Decide the Outcome Between Park Chan-dae and Yoo Jeong-bok [Current Affairs Show]

First Metropolitan Mayor Candidates Confirmed Through Sole Nomination

"Presidential Confidant" Park Chan-dae Stresses "Creative Administration"

Yoo Jeongbok Highlights "1,000-Won Housing" and "Top Birth Rate"

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily’s "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show" (Mon-Fri, 4–5 PM)

■ Host: So Jongseop, Political Specialist ■ Producer: Lee Kyungdo

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So Jongseop: Hello, everyone. Welcome to "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show." Among metropolitan city mayoral races, Incheon Metropolitan City is the first to finalize its candidates. Park Chan-dae from the Democratic Party of Korea received a sole nomination on the 4th, while Yoo Jeong-bok from the People Power Party was solely nominated on the 11th. I believe this single-candidate nomination is due to their strong competitiveness and the significance of the Incheon mayoral race. Therefore, today’s discussion will start with the face-off between Park Chan-dae and Yoo Jeong-bok.

Let’s first review the historical trends of elections in Incheon Metropolitan City. In the 2022 presidential election, candidate Lee Jae-myung secured 48.91% of the vote, ahead of then-People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, who garnered 47.05%. So, who won the local elections in the same year? Yoo Jeong-bok from the People Power Party won with 51.76% against Park Nam-choon from the Democratic Party with 44.55%, and Justice Party candidate Lee Jeong-mi received 3.17%. Since this was right after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, Yoo Jeong-bok secured over 4 percentage points more than Yoon had in the presidential election. This indicates that Yoo Jeong-bok, the People Power Party candidate at the time, had substantial personal appeal and competitiveness.

How did the National Assembly elections turn out in 2024? Except for Ganghwa·Ongjin and Michuhol, Democratic Party candidates won in 12 out of 14 constituencies. A similar trend was observed in last year’s presidential election. Lee Jae-myung won 51.67%, Kim Moon-soo 38.44%, and Lee Jun-seok 8.74%. Given the overwhelming margin for Lee Jae-myung in the presidential election, the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and the recent trend in President Lee’s approval ratings, it is expected that Yoo Jeong-bok from the People Power Party faces a tough battle ahead.

As for Park Chan-dae, he was born in 1967 in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon. His actual year of birth is 1965. He graduated from Dongincheon High School and entered Inha University’s College of Business Administration in 1984. He holds a Certified Public Accountant qualification in Korea, as well as a U.S. CPA license. He has worked at Samil Accounting Corporation and the Financial Supervisory Service, demonstrating a strong grasp of real-world economic trends. After entering politics, he was elected three times in Incheon Yeonsu-gu Gap, served as the Supreme Council member and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. During the impeachment proceedings, he made a strong impression on the public by calling out People Power Party lawmakers by name and urging them to join the impeachment vote.

Yoo Jeong-bok was born in 1957 in Songnim-dong, Dong-gu, Incheon. He graduated from Jemulpo High School and entered Yonsei University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy in 1976. In his senior year, he passed the 23rd Higher Civil Service Examination. He was part of the first class of commissioned officers. At the age of 37, he was appointed as the government-designated head of Gimpo County. He then served as mayor of Seo-gu in Incheon, as elected mayor of Gimpo city, and was elected to the National Assembly three times. He served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Minister of the Interior and Safety. He was elected mayor of Incheon in 2014, lost in 2018, and was re-elected in 2022. Now, he is running for a second consecutive term. Having held various posts from local government head, minister to lawmaker, he is known as a “master of administration.”

Both candidates share similarities. They were both born in Incheon and completed their education up to high school in the city. Personality-wise, they are both seen as rational and moderate. Unlike other Democratic Party “586” generation politicians, Park has no history in the democratization movement. Both have professional credentials: Park as a Certified Public Accountant and Yoo through the Higher Civil Service Exam.

Having served as floor leader while President Lee was the party leader, and being the only person featured on a presidential stamp, Park Chan-dae is expected to highlight his connection with President Lee Jae-myung. Since President Lee was elected in Gyeyang-eul, Incheon, then entered the party, became party leader, and then president, Park has frequently emphasized, “President Lee Jae-myung owes a debt to Incheon, and I will collect on that debt.” He is positioning himself as a powerful candidate who can secure government budgets and resources for Incheon.

Moreover, Park is likely to frame his campaign as one of accounting expertise and flexible thinking, actively supporting the centrist pragmatism of the Lee Jae-myung administration. He is also expected to argue that now is the time for bold innovation, not stability, in Incheon Metropolitan City. This is why he says, “Incheon needs active and creative administration, not mere management.” After receiving the sole nomination, Park’s first action was to visit vulnerable areas such as Ganghwa Island. The Democratic Party is also showing support for Park by holding the Supreme Council meeting in Incheon. Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae and Park even rode a boat together.
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Yoo Jeong-bok’s greatest strength is his experience and extensive career, having served as a local government head, minister, lawmaker, and mayor of Incheon. He is widely seen as someone trustworthy to lead any endeavor. This sense of stability is his foundation. Recently, he has actively promoted policies, especially the “1,000 won housing” policy, which is widely credited with significantly reducing the cost of living for young people. Last year, around 1,000 housing units were supplied at a rent of only 30,000 won per month, and he has promised to expand this program. His first activity after being nominated was a dialogue with university students, showing his focus on connecting with young people.

Alongside the 1,000 won housing policy, another highlight is that Incheon Metropolitan City recorded the nation’s highest birth rate increase at 13.2%. Yoo emphasizes that this is due to the “100 Million Plus I-Dream” policy. The policy provides 100 million won in support for each child born in Incheon until they turn 18. However, Yoo faces difficulty benefiting from his party’s approval ratings, so he must rely on his own personal competitiveness.

The contest between Park Chan-dae and Yoo Jeong-bok is ultimately expected to be influenced by the overall trend in the Seoul metropolitan area, future shifts in party support, and evaluations of the individual candidates.

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