Potential presidential hopefuls secure wins in local elections
From left, Oh Se-hoon, Ahn Cheol-soo, Hong Joon-pyo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), and Lee Jae-myung and Kim Dong-yeon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) / Yonhap
Political heavyweights harboring presidential ambitions won landslide or narrow victories in this week's local elections and parliamentary by-elections, paving the way for further political strides toward the nation's next presidential poll in 2027, watchers said Thursday.
Three politicians from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) ― Oh Se-hoon, Ahn Cheol-soo and Hong Joon-pyo ― cemented their political influence by winning landslide victories, while former presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung and Kim Dong-yeon, both of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, garnered an unimpressive and a narrow victory, respectively.
Above all, Seoul Mayor Oh, who won reelection to become the first person to be elected to the capital's mayoral post for the fourth time, drew extensive media attention for playing a pivotal role in the PPP's strong performances in the capital area.
Oh is known for his turbulent political history over the past decade. In 2011, Oh resigned as Seoul mayor, taking responsibility for his unsuccessful campaign to end free lunches for students. He then suffered defeats in parliamentary elections in 2016 and 2020 before winning an overwhelming victory in Seoul's mayoral by-election in April last year.
Political circles are also paying strong attention to the future path of Ahn, who is making a comeback to the National Assembly as a three-term lawmaker after five years after a comfortable win in a by-election in Seongnam, south of Seoul.
Ahn, who dropped out of this year's presidential race to back Yoon Suk-yeol, served as the chair of the presidential transition committee but chose not to serve in his Cabinet to focus on expanding the support base of the ruling party through the local elections.
The latest election win is expected to help widen Ahn's political foundation and position within the PPP, as he is widely expected to run for the party's chairmanship.
Hong, who competed unsuccessfully against Yoon in the PPP presidential primary last year but won a landslide victory in Daegu's mayoral election this week, is still considered one of the influential presidential hopefuls in the ruling bloc.
Lee, who was successfully elected to the National Assembly for the first time from a by-election in Incheon, west of Seoul, after losing narrowly to Yoon in the presidential race, is reportedly confronted with a complicated political situation.
As the chief of the DPK's election committee, Lee can hardly avoid responsibility for the party's devastating defeats in the local elections. Nevertheless, he is expected to use his Assembly seat to expand his political base within the DPK and challenge for the party chairmanship at its national convention slated for August.
Kim, who came from behind at the last minute to beat his PPP rival by 0.15 percentage points, is expected to further raise his political status and join the ranks of the DPK's next presidential hopefuls. He is particularly credited with helping save the DPK's face in its shocking election defeats and lay the foundation to check the Yoon administration. (Yonhap)