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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

“In the eyes of Seoul citizens, it was a contest between a presidential contender and a district mayor”

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The Democratic Party's loss in the Seoul mayoral election is attributed to an underestimation of the opponent and a lack of compelling messaging.
  • Internal criticism points to weak candidate competitiveness and an overly passive campaign strategy as key factors in the defeat.
  • The election outcome has sparked internal debate about the party's future direction and leadership, with a focus on strengthening candidate selection and campaign tactics.

A senior Democratic Party official from Seoul lamented the party's defeat in the mayoral election, stating, "We were complacent, intoxicated by the stock market's 8,000 index and President Lee Jae-myung's 60% approval rating, leading to a lack of preparedness in terms of candidate, message, and strategy."

The loss in Seoul, considered the most critical battleground of the June 3 local elections, has prompted introspection within the Democratic Party. Many within the party acknowledge it as a "clear qualitative defeat" that necessitates a thorough examination of the reasons behind the failure. A primary factor identified is the relatively weak candidate competitiveness compared to the incumbent.

We were complacent, intoxicated by the stock market's 8,000 index and President Lee Jae-myung's 60% approval rating, leading to a lack of preparedness in terms of candidate, message, and strategy.

— Anonymous Democratic Party officialA Seoul-based Democratic Party official explaining the reasons for the party's defeat in the mayoral election.

The party had faced the challenge of finding a candidate with the strength to compete against the four-term incumbent, Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party. While there was hope that Jung Won-oh, a three-term Seongdong district mayor known for his administrative skills and endorsed by President Lee, could appeal to centrist voters, concerns grew mid-campaign about his lack of visibility.

While the president's endorsement provided a strong background for the primary, to Seoul citizens, it ultimately appeared as a contest between a presidential contender and a district mayor.

— Anonymous first-term lawmakerA first-term lawmaker analyzing the perception of the Democratic Party's candidate in Seoul.

One metropolitan area first-term lawmaker observed, "While the president's endorsement provided a strong background for the primary, to Seoul citizens, it ultimately appeared as a contest between a presidential contender and a district mayor." Another first-term lawmaker criticized the campaign for its "passive approach throughout the election period, failing to make the candidate stand out."

Furthermore, Oh Se-hoon's aggressive focus on real estate issues resonated with voters, particularly in the affluent Gangnam 4 districts, which constitute 21.7% of Seoul's electorate. While the party had hoped Jung's popularity as Seongdong district mayor would mitigate the impact of real estate debates, the results indicated otherwise. The controversy surrounding a special prosecutor bill, including the authority to drop charges, also appears to have alienated centrist and conservative voters, consolidating support for the People Power Party and preventing Jung from gaining momentum.

The passive approach throughout the election period, failing to make the candidate stand out.

— Anonymous first-term lawmakerA first-term lawmaker criticizing the campaign strategy in the Seoul mayoral election.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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