The election campaign for the by-elections on April 2, which will be held next month on the 2nd, started on the 20th. Although it received less attention due to the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol, it has the nature of a preliminary battle to gauge public sentiment before major elections such as the general and presidential elections.
According to the National Election Commission, this by-election will be held in a total of 23 locations, including five local heads (Guro District of Seoul, Asan City of South Chungcheong, Gimcheon City of North Gyeongsang, Geoje City of South Gyeongsang, and Damyang County of South Jeolla), eight regional councilors, nine municipal councilors, and one superintendent of education (Busan).
Among them, the election for the mayor of Asan, where the ruling and opposition parties have alternately won, and the election for the head of Guro District in Seoul, where public sentiment in the metropolitan area can be gauged, are receiving attention.
The mayor of Asan has been alternately won by candidates from the Democratic Party and the People Power Party in past elections. It is regarded as a place where the so-called 'casting vote' of public sentiment in Chungcheong can be read. Former Asan Mayor Park Kyung-ki of the People Power Party was ousted due to violations of the Public Official Election Act.
The candidate from the regional party, the Liberty Democratic Alliance, won the Asan mayor position twice consecutively starting from the local elections in 1995, followed by two consecutive wins for the Grand National Party. Since 2010, the Democratic Party candidate has maintained the Asan mayor position, but in the 2022 local elections, a candidate from the People Power Party was elected again. This time, former Mayor Oh Se-hyun is running as the Democratic Party candidate, while former Deputy Mayor Jeon Man-gwon of Cheonan is running as the People Power Party candidate. Candidates Joo Deok-ho of the New Future Democratic Party and Kim Gwang-man of the Liberty Unification Party also announced their candidacies.
The Guro District head election will be contested in a three-way battle among candidates from the Democratic Party, the Innovation Party, and the Progressive Party, as the People Power Party decided not to nominate candidates. Earlier, Moon Heon-il, the former district head from the People Power Party elected in 2022, resigned after refusing a court ruling to place 17 billion won worth of shares in a blind trust for his company.
From the Democratic Party, former Seoul City Council member Jang In-hong is running, while from the Innovation Party, lawyer Seo Sang-beom, who served as a representative for the impeachment inquiry against President Yoon Suk-yeol, is also a candidate. Additionally, the Progressive Party candidate Choi Jae-hee and the Liberty Unification Party candidate Lee Kang-san have also announced their candidacies for the Guro District head.
In the Kimcheon mayor election, Hwang Tae-seong, the Democratic Party's policy committee vice chair, and Bae Nak-ho, former chair of the Kimcheon City Council from the People Power Party, are candidates. Independent candidates Lee Chang-jae and Lee Seon-myeong are also running.
In the Geoje mayor election, former mayor Byeon Kwang-yong is the Democratic Party candidate, while former deputy mayor Park Hwan-ki is campaigning as the People Power Party candidate. Independents Kim Du-ho and Hwang Yeong-seok are also in the race.
In addition, by-elections are scheduled in eight regional council positions (Daegu Dalseo District 6, Incheon Ganghwa County, Daejeon Yuseong District 2, Seongnam City District 6 and Gunpo City District 4, Dangjin City District 2 of South Chungcheong, Seongju County of North Gyeongsang, and Changwon City District 12 of South Gyeongsang) and nine municipal council positions (Jungnang District of Seoul 1 and Mapo District 4, Dongjak District 2, Ganghwa County of Incheon 2, Gwangyang City 2, Damyang County 3, Goheung County 1 of South Jeolla, Goryeong County 1 of North Gyeongsang, and Yangsan City District 4 of South Gyeongsang).
The Busan education superintendent election will be held as Hwang Yun-soo, Busan's education superintendent, received a fine of 7 million won for violating the Local Education Autonomy Act, resulting in the invalidation of his election. The registered candidates for this by-election are Kim Seok-jun, Jeong Seung-yoon, and Choi Yun-hong.