Parties filling election rosters

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and the ruling Saenuri Party’s three candidate hopefuls for the Seoul mayoral election — from right, Kim Hwang-sik, Lee Hye-hoon and Chung Mong-joon — attend a ceremony at the Kim Koo Museum and Library in Seoul, Sunday, to commemorate the 95th anniversary of establishment of the Provisional Government of Korea. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

With some 50 days to go before the local elections, rival parties are finalizing their candidates roster.

The June 4 polls will elect mayors, governors, education superintendents and heads of regional councils.

As of Sunday, the ruling Saenuri Party has nominated eight candidates for 17 heads of local government, while the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) has come up with 10.

Other than Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces, the respective strongholds for the Saenuri Party and the NPAD, elections in and around the Seoul area are expected to see a fierce competition.

In addition, Chungcheong and Gangwon provinces will see if incumbent governors from the opposition party will be re-elected against tough competitors.

In Seoul, each party is pitting high-profile candidates in the race.

With current Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of the NPAD already set for his title defense, the Saenuri Party has seven-term lawmaker Chung Mong-joon, former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Supreme Council member Lee Hye-hoon battling it out in a primary race. The ruling party is scheduled to pick a finalist to face Park at the end of the month.

A public opinion poll, conducted earlier this month by cable news network YTN, showed potential candidate Chung led Park by 1.1 percentage points. The survey had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

Incheon Mayor Song Young-gil also faces a strong challenge from a former member of the Park Geun-hye administration.

In the opinion poll, Song beat Yoo Jeong-bok, former minister of security and public administration, 45.4 to 40.6 percent, but among those who plan to vote, Yoo was more popular by 3.6 percentage points.

Although both parties have yet to pick candidates for the governorship of Gyeonggi Province ― another key seat in the elections ― Rep. Nam Kyung-pil is the Saenuri Party’s favorite over Rep. Choung Byoung-gug, while lawmakers Won Hye-young and Kim Jin-pyo and Kim Sang-gon, former chief of Gyeonggi Province Office of Education, are involved in a three-way primary for the newly-created opposition party.

However, the poll showed Nam beating anyone from the NPAD.

A duel between incumbent advantage and party reputation is unfolding in Chungcheong and Gangwon provinces.

The ruling party is gaining more recognition in the regions and hoping this will translate into election victories.

The Saenuri Party holds all nine National Assembly seats in Gangwon Province, but current Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon is runaway leader.

In South Chungcheong Province, Governor Ahn Hee-jung, a key confident of late former President Roh Moo-hyun, is expected to cruise to re-election.

However, North Chungcheon Province Governor Lee Si-jong is in a close race with the Saenuri Party’s Yoon Jin-sik, a second-term lawmaker.

Former lawmaker Won Hee-ryong of the Saenuri Party is running for Jeju governor.

Former Maritime Minister and independent candidate Oh Geo-don is seeking to topple the stronghold of the ruling party in the Busan mayoral election. NPAD Co-Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo eagerly persuaded Oh to join his side, but was rebuffed.

The local elections are seen as an appraisal of the Park administration which entered its second year in office in February.