Busan mayoral race enters final stretch as parties near primary picks

Rep. Chun Jae-soo, left, adjusts the tie of fellow candidate Lee Jae-sung ahead of a televised Democratic Party of Korea primary debate at a KNN studio in Busan, Friday. Yonhap

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who is seeking a third term, announces his bid in the People Power Party primary in Busan, March 28. Courtesy of Park’s campaign

The mayoral race in Busan is entering its final stage, with both major parties set to select their candidates this week, ahead of the June 3 local elections.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is holding a primary between Rep. Chun Jae-soo and former Busan party chair Lee Jae-sung.

Chun, a three-term lawmaker representing Busan's Buk District, served as minister of oceans and fisheries under the Lee Jae Myung administration and is widely seen as the DPK's strongest contender. Lee is a former Busan chairman for the DPK who is challenging Chun in the party’s primary.

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is selecting its nominee through a contest between incumbent Mayor Park Heong-joon and first-term lawmaker Rep. Joo Jin-woo.

Park is the current mayor of Busan and is seeking a third term under the PPP banner, while Joo is a first term lawmaker representing Busan’s Haeundae District.

The DPK began voting this week, combining party member ballots with a public survey using anonymized phone numbers, and plans to announce its candidate on Thursday. The PPP will make their announcement on Saturday.

At a televised debate earlier this week, Chun and Lee largely focused on policy issues in Busan, with little sign of negative exchanges.

Polling so far suggested Chun holds a clear lead within his party. An iNews24 poll conducted on Thursday and Friday among 1,005 adults in Busan found Chun securing 48.8 percent support in the DPK primary, compared with 12.6 percent for Lee.

On the conservative side, the PPP primary has drawn attention as a closely contested race between Park and Joo. The two have already met in televised debates and are scheduled for a final round on Tuesday. Voting will take place over Thursday and Friday, combining party member ballots and public polling, with the party set to confirm its nominee on Saturday.

The race has seen a shift in momentum. Surveys in mid-March suggested Joo was leading in several key districts, but more recent polls indicate Park has regained the upper hand among party supporters.

The final days of the PPP primary have also been marked by a dispute over polling practices. Joo’s camp accused Park’s side of circulating advance information about survey questions and encouraging misleading responses.

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party speaks during the opening of his primary campaign office in Busan, March 28. Yonhap

“Messages containing key points of survey questions were spread through Park’s camp,” Joo’s side said, calling for clarification on how the information was obtained.

Park’s camp rejected the claim. “There has been no official distribution of documents or instructions by the campaign,” a campaign official said. “The materials in question were created and shared voluntarily by supporters.”

Separate polling on general election matchups has consistently shown DPK candidate Chun leading both PPP contenders.

An Ace Research poll commissioned by the Busan Ilbo and conducted on Friday and Saturday among 1,004 adults in Busan showed Chun leading the race with 40.6 percent support. He was followed by Park at 23.6 percent, Joo at 15.6 percent and Lee at 6.8 percent.

Support for DPK candidates Chun and Lee combined reached 47.4 percent, compared with 39.2 percent for Park and Joo.

In hypothetical head-to-head matchups, Chun also led both PPP contenders. He received 48 percent against Park’s 34.9 percent, and 47.7 percent against Joo’s 36.4 percent, maintaining a double-digit lead in both cases.

Campaign messaging has sharpened as the primaries near their end. Park has focused on regional issues while criticizing the government and DPK candidates, while Joo has emphasized generational change and reform.

Chun has also come under criticism from conservative and minor party candidates since entering the race, with his camp dismissing the attacks as politically motivated.

Both parties are set to finalize their candidates within days, after which the race will move into full campaign mode. Recent polls show Chun holding an early lead, though the PPP primary outcome could still shape the contest.

The iNews24 survey was commissioned by iNews24 and conducted by Innertech Systems on Thursday and Friday among 1,005 adults in Busan using mobile random digit dialing via automated response systems, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

The Busan Ilbo survey was commissioned by the Busan Ilbo and conducted by Ace Research on Friday and Saturday among 1,004 adults in Busan using mobile random digit dialing via automated response systems, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.