Political heavyweights to face off in Jongno district

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Hong Sa-duk, a former vice speaker of the National Assembly, is set to face off with the former leader of the main opposition party in the upcoming National Assembly elections in a battleground district in Seoul.

The ruling Saenuri Party announced Monday that Hong, 69, will run in the Jongno district, widely known as the nation’s No. 1 political avenue as swing voters there are hard to curry favor with, on the ruling party ticket.

His rival is Chung Sye-kyun, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (now the Democratic United Party). Chung switched his electoral district from the one in the DUP’s home turf Jeolla Province.

Both parties designated Jongno in downtown Seoul as a strategic