[June 3 Election] "Stronghold" Democratic Party vs. Challengers... Haenam and Wando Races Heat Up

With the final lineup for the June 3 local elections for county heads in Haenam and Wando, South Jeolla Province now confirmed, the race to win over voters has officially begun. While the Democratic Party of Korea is focused on retaining its traditional stronghold in both regions, a fierce pursuit from challengers seeking to overturn the status quo has emerged as the key point of interest as the race heads into its final stretch.

◆Haenam: Myeon-gwan Myung Aiming for a Third Term vs. Haegeun Seo’s “Major Agricultural Policy Shift”

The Haenam county head election is shaping up as a two-way contest between the incumbent Myeon-gwan Myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and Haegeun Seo of the Justice Innovation Party. The central issue of this election is whether Myung will secure a third consecutive term.

Myeon Kwan Myung of the Democratic Party (left), Se-hae Geun of the Constituent Innovation Party (right)

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Myung is campaigning on the platform of stability, leveraging his proven administrative leadership over the past seven years during the 7th and 8th civil administrations. His achievements include earning the highest (SA) grade for seven consecutive years from the Korea Manifesto Implementation Headquarters, advancing the long-anticipated Solaseado Corporate City project after 20 years of effort, and securing designations for three major special zones (Opportunity Development, Educational Advancement, and Distributed Energy), all of which serve as strong credentials underpinning his candidacy.

In contrast, Haegeun Seo of the Justice Innovation Party is taking to the field with a pledge to overhaul agricultural policy. With 46 years of experience in administration and legislation, Seo emphasizes his past accomplishments such as introducing the 100-won taxi. Recently, he has fully embraced the five major policy proposals from the Haenam County Farmers’ Association, including the creation of a minimum income protection system for farmers and fishers, aiming to consolidate his support base.

However, local political circles note that as this is the Justice Innovation Party’s first attempt at a grassroots leadership position in the Honam region, and considering Myung’s solid support base-evidenced by his uncontested victory in the previous election-an upset is considered unlikely.

◆Wando: Woo Hongseop’s “One Team” Approach vs. Kim Shin’s Fourth Bid to Capture the Stronghold

With the incumbent Woo Cheol Shin unable to seek a third term due to term limits, the Wando county head race has become a head-to-head matchup between Woo Hongseop of the Democratic Party of Korea and independent candidate Kim Shin.

Woo Hongseop of the Democratic Party of Korea (left), Kim Shin, Independent (right)

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After a fiercely contested primary, Woo secured the Democratic Party’s nomination and is highlighting his 31 years of public service and administrative expertise.

He is appealing to voters with practical pledges such as introducing “Sea Pension” and “Wando-style 10,000-won Housing.” Especially noteworthy is that, immediately following the primaries, he formed a policy alliance with Provincial Assemblyman Uijun Shin and County Assemblywoman Goonghee Heo, and proposed the role of joint campaign chair to his primary rival, Yeongbae Ji. These swift moves to build a “one team” structure have been credited with boosting his competitiveness in the general election.

Independent candidate Kim Shin is countering with a robust local network and high name recognition. Making his fourth bid for county head, Kim narrowly lost the Democratic Party primary in 2022 by just 0.42 percentage points.

He is pledging to revitalize marine tourism and foster the seafood processing industry, fully mobilizing the regional base he has built over more than 50 years residing in the area’s 12 towns and villages. Nevertheless, the political landscape in Honam makes it difficult for an independent to overcome the Democratic Party’s organizational strength, and the lack of a party-driven mobilization effort remains Kim’s biggest challenge.

Both Haenam and Wando are considered traditional Democratic Party strongholds, giving the party’s nominees a favorable environment.

However, as the contest in Haenam centers on “proven stability vs. agricultural policy transformation” and in Wando on “administrative expertise vs. local grassroots strength,” some analysts believe that subtle shifts in voter sentiment could become the deciding factor in the final stages. The ultimate winner, who will lead the future of the region, will be determined by the votes of local residents on June 3.

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