Independent Kim Kwan-young's Surge Makes Jeonbuk Governor Race a Major Focal Point

Despite Jeong Cheongrae's All-Out Campaign, Jeonbuk Voters Remain Uncertain

Lee Wontaeck vs. Kim Kwan-young: Neck-and-Neck Race Within Margin of Error in Polls

Ahn Ho-young: "The Party Must Listen to the Voices of Criticism from the People"

The Jeonbuk governor election has emerged as a major focal point in the upcoming June 3 local elections. Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the Democratic Party of Korea and is now running as an independent candidate for Jeonbuk governor, is in a tight race with Democratic Party candidate Lee Wontak. While the Democratic Party is making an all-out effort to win back wavering voters in Jeonbuk, Kim’s campaign is emphasizing the “pride” of the region and is forecasting a potential upset.

According to political circles on May 19, the Jeonbuk governor race is highly competitive. Unlike previous elections in the Honam region, where the Democratic Party was dominant and the primary was as heated as the main election while the general election itself proceeded calmly, this time the atmosphere is different. According to a Hangil Research poll released on this day (commissioned by Saejeonbuk Ilbo and conducted via wireless phone ARS survey of 1,001 Jeonbuk residents aged 18 and older on May 16–17, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level), Lee received 40.5% support and Kim 42.1%, indicating a close race within the margin of error. Saejeonbuk Ilbo reported, “In polls conducted before the official campaign declarations, on April 30 and May 1, Kim was behind within the margin of error.” This suggests that the trend is shifting.

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On this day, Kim appeared on SBS Radio’s “Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show,” stating, “Jeonbuk residents are now realizing that the governor is not someone appointed by Lee Jeongcheol, the Democratic Party leader, but someone chosen by the people themselves,” adding, “There are many people in the Democratic Party who want to help.” Previously, Kim was expelled from the party ahead of the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary over alleged involvement in an envelope of cash scandal. Regarding the incident, Kim said, “Had the Supreme Council members listened to my explanation, they absolutely would not have expelled me.”

The Democratic Party leadership and others have been visiting Jeonbuk daily in efforts to regain momentum. At the Jeonbuk party’s campaign kick-off ceremony on May 17, Lee Jeongcheol, the party leader, said, “When the central government, the Jeollabuk-do governor, the Jeonju mayor, and both metropolitan and basic assembly members are all from the Democratic Party, everything runs smoothly like interlocking gears.”

Although the Democratic Party continues to emphasize unity, signs of instability are also evident. An Ho-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker who had gone on a hunger strike demanding a reinvestigation into allegations that Lee’s campaign had paid for meals for primary voters, wrote on social media on May 18, “I told Party Leader Lee that for the Democratic Party to win the hearts of the people and become a greater party, it must listen to criticism from the residents, reflect on itself, and correct its mistakes.”

For more detailed information regarding the opinion polls, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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