"Maximizing National Momentum" vs. "Checking and Judging the Lee Jae-myung Administration" [Local Elections]

The day of decision for the June local elections has arrived on the 3rd. The vote comes one year after the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which took office after weathering the turmoil of martial law. By-elections will also be held to choose lawmakers in 14 districts. With a nationwide election and a 'mini general election' taking place at the same time, the race is being viewed more clearly as a midterm assessment of the current administration. Depending on the outcome, the political landscape is expected to change significantly. The results are likely to affect not only the reshaping of local governments and political power, but also the direction of South Korea amid global instability.
According to political circles on the 2nd, both the ruling and opposition parties believe that the results of the elections for 16 metropolitan and provincial heads will influence each party's next leadership race as well as the governing momentum of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The key factor that will effectively determine victory or defeat is whether the ruling Democratic Party of Korea can retake Seoul and the Yeongnam Region, or whether the People Power Party can hold them.
Reflecting the sense of urgency, Han Byung-do, the DPK parliamentary leader, said at a floor strategy meeting at the National Assembly on the day before the main vote, "I feel as desperate as I did a year ago during the presidential election." Song Eon-seok, the People Power Party parliamentary leader, issued a "voter appeal statement." The prevailing view is that the DPK will win far more seats overall in the June local elections. For that reason, analysts say the real impact on the ruling and opposition parties' future paths, and even the government's governing momentum, will depend less on the total number of winners than on who prevails in key regions such as Seoul and the Yeongnam Region.
The most closely watched race is the Seoul mayoral election. As the Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor attends State Council meetings, the result can be interpreted as a signal from public sentiment to the administration. In the early stages of the race, Jeong Won-oh, the DPK candidate, held a wide lead over Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, buoyed by the president's popularity. However, polls conducted just before the ban on publishing survey results showed the race narrowing to within the margin of error. Another point of interest is the DPK's "eastward expansion." How much the party can win in Gangwon State and the Yeongnam Region, where conservative support is strong, will shape the government's and ruling party's momentum in running the country, as well as the People Power Party's standing.


uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho Reporter