Andong City Council Elects First Democratic Party Speaker in Gyeongbuk

Lee Jae-gap has been elected speaker of the Andong City Council, a historic first for the Democratic Party in a basic local council within the traditionally conservative Gyeongbuk Province. Lee officially joined the Democratic Party in May after serving multiple terms as an independent.

The election for speaker was highly competitive. The Andong City Council comprises 18 members: 8 from the Democratic Party, 7 from the People Power Party, 2 independents, and 1 from the Green Party. In the initial rounds of voting, both Democratic Party candidate Jeong Bok-soon and People Power Party candidate Kwon Ki-yoon received 9 votes each, leading to a tie.

Subsequent rounds also resulted in ties, including a final run-off between Lee Jae-gap of the Democratic Party and Kwon Ki-yoon. According to the Andong City Council's basic ordinance, when a tie occurs in the second round of voting, the elder candidate is elected. Consequently, Lee Jae-gap, being the elder of the two, secured the speakership.

"I feel a heavy sense of responsibility," Lee Jae-gap stated in his acceptance speech. "I will approach this with the resolve to bear the fruit of my 40 years in public service. I will keep the executive branch in check, but I will also cooperate when it is the right path forward."

Son Kwang-young, a 9-term independent council member, was elected deputy speaker.

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I feel a heavy sense of responsibility. I will approach this with the resolve to bear the fruit of my 40 years in public service. I will keep the executive branch in check, but I will also cooperate when it is the right path forward.