Former presidential secretary Kim Byung-wook loses Seongnam mayoral race

Kim Byung-wook, a former presidential secretary for political affairs and a prominent member of the '7-man club,' a pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, has failed to reclaim the Seongnam mayoral seat for his party. The outcome is particularly disappointing for the ruling party, considering President Lee Jae-myung's history as the former mayor of Seongnam.

With 99.91% of the votes counted for the Seongnam mayoral election, Kim Byung-wook of the Democratic Party garnered 48.7% of the vote. He narrowly lost to Shin Sang-jin of the People Power Party, who secured 50.3%, a difference of 1.6 percentage points. Jang Ji-hwa of the Progressive Party received 1% of the vote.

Kim Byung-wook, a former two-term lawmaker for the Seongnam Bundang B constituency in the 20th and 21st National Assemblies, was known as an early supporter of Lee Jae-myung. He served as a political affairs secretary in the Blue House during the Lee administration. His defeat in Seongnam, a city with strong ties to President Lee, is viewed as a significant setback.

The election results in Seongnam are being closely analyzed for their implications on the political landscape and the future direction of the Democratic Party. The narrow loss underscores the competitive nature of local politics and the challenges faced by the ruling party in consolidating its support base.