Choo Kyung-ho vs. Kim Boo-kyum: A Big Match in the Conservative Heartland

The ruling and opposition parties have finalized their candidates for the Daegu mayoral race in the June 3 local elections. Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and People Power Party lawmaker Choo Kyung-ho will face off.
The Nomination Management Committee of the People Power Party said on the 26th that Choo Kyung-ho was selected as the party's final candidate after defeating Yoo Young-ha in the Daegu mayoral primary.
Choo has served three consecutive terms as a lawmaker from Dalseong County, Daegu, since the 20th National Assembly. Under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, he also served as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance, the predecessor of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), which was formerly the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Budget. At the time of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, he was the People Power Party floor leader.
Initially, there were concerns that conservative votes could be split, as lawmakers Joo Ho-young and former Korea Communications Commission Chairman Lee Jin-sook were expected to run as independents after being cut from the People Power Party's nomination process. However, both later announced they would not run, leaving Choo as the sole conservative candidate.
After being chosen as the Daegu mayoral candidate, Choo held a press conference at the Daegu City Party and said, "I will mobilize the entire economic network of South Korea to reshape Daegu's economy." He also described himself as a "professional economic mayor" because of his experience as deputy prime minister for economic affairs.
He also said he wanted to become the final balancing force for conservatives. "If Daegu also collapses in this election, conservatism will collapse to its roots," he said. He also proposed to Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Boo-kyum that the two parties form a "joint council for Daegu economic development" with participation from both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea.
The Democratic Party of Korea had already selected former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum as its Daegu mayoral candidate and has been working to shore up support. On this day, party leaders including Jung Chung-rae attended the opening ceremony of Kim Boo-kyum's campaign office in person to show their support.
At the opening ceremony, Jung said, "We will fight the Daegu-Gyeongbuk election with Kim Boo-kyum's face. We will also make sure Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration is carried out as soon as Kim Boo-kyum takes office."
Daegu has traditionally been a strong conservative bastion and is often called the People Power Party's home turf. But after the Yoon Suk Yeol administration was shaken by the martial law crisis and approval ratings for President Lee Jae Myung surged, public sentiment in Daegu has also become divided between the ruling and opposition parties.
Jiwon Song, Kim Yun-ho