Cho Seung-rae of the Democratic Party: "Fierce Races in Seoul and Yeongnam... Opposition Incumbents Should Be Judged in Local Elections"

Jung Chung-rae to Support Jeong Won-oh's Seoul Mayoral Campaign at Midnight on May 21

Preparing for Various Scenarios in the Five-Way Pyeongtaek Race... No Plans for Consolidation

Jo Seungrae, Secretary General and Chief Election Campaign Director of the Democratic Party of Korea's Election Countermeasures Committee, stated on May 20, the day before the official campaign period for the June 3 Nationwide Local Elections, "There are many closely contested regions," analyzing that the outlook in Seoul and the Yeongnam region is especially fierce.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Secretary General Jo remarked, "The Seoul mayoral race is developing very fiercely, as initially expected," but also questioned, "Is Oh Sehoon, the People Power Party candidate, truly capable and competent enough to serve as mayor for a fifth term?"

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Jae-man Bae = Jo Seung-rae, Secretary General and Chief Election Campaign Director of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 20th ahead of the official start of the election campaign. 2026.5.20 scoop@yna.co.kr (End)

He stated, "To win the Seoul mayoral race, we will mobilize all the party's personnel and resources to ensure victory, doing our utmost."

Jeong Cheongrae, Chairperson and Chief Standing Election Campaign Director, is also scheduled to begin his first campaign activity on the midnight of the 21st by supporting candidate Jeong Wonoh in Seoul as the campaign officially kicks off.

Secretary General Jo commented, "Naturally, the competition in the Yeongnam region is extremely fierce," adding, "While the residents of Yeongnam are contemplating whether they should keep the government in check, local elections are not about checking the central government." He went on, "Politicians are supposed to serve the region and its citizens—why should citizens have to save politicians? This election is not about whether a particular political force survives or not, but rather a competition over who is better suited for regional development."

He also emphasized that among the People Power Party's candidates running in this local election, 11 (from Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam, Chungbuk, Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Ulsan, and Busan) are current heads of local governments. The People Power Party is fielding incumbent officials in all but one of the 12 locations where they currently hold office, with the exception being the seat vacated by former Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo, who left the party after running for president.

Secretary General Jo said, "We are in the position of reclaiming these posts," adding, "Our goal is to win back as many as possible and secure as many victories as possible. Out of the 3,220 candidates we have nominated, it is crucial that even one more is elected."

Regarding the Pyeongtaek-eul district in Gyeonggi Province, which has a 'five-party race' structure, he explained, "We are preparing for various possibilities since there may be changes, such as whether Hwang Kyoahn, the Liberty and Innovation candidate, will remain in the race until the end." However, he clarified that there are no ongoing efforts to unify candidates with the Progressive Party or the Cho Kuk Innovation Party.

When asked about the remark by a Cho Kuk Innovation Party candidate that they would discuss a merger with the Democratic Party after being elected, he responded, "The logic that Representative Cho Kuk's election is a path toward a merger is strange," and added, "Linking Representative Cho's election to merger talks is unreasonable."

Regarding candidate Kim Kwanyoung, who is running as an independent after being expelled from the Democratic Party, Jo said, "There were reports that the list of 110,000 party members nationwide was leaked. The whistleblower plans to report this to the National Election Commission, and given the seriousness of the matter, I urge the Election Commission and investigative authorities to take swift action."

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