Rep. Shin Jung-hun, who is running for the Democratic Party of Korea's special mayor of integrated South Jeolla–Gwangju, and incumbent Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung unified the main primary candidacy in favor of Rep. Shin based on a public opinion poll. As a result, the Democratic Party of Korea's main primary for South Jeolla–Gwangju mayor has become a four-way race among Kim Yung-rok, Min Hyeong-bae, Shin Jung-hun, and Joo Cheol-hyeon (listed in Korean alphabetical order).
On the 30th, Rep. Shin and Mayor Kang held a press conference in the briefing room of the Gwangju City Council and said that after conducting a unification poll over two days on the 28th–29th, they selected Rep. Shin as the single candidate. For the unification, each side chose its own polling firm and conducted an automatic response (ARS) survey based on safe-number calls, then combined the results to select the candidate with the higher average approval rating.
Rep. Shin said, "I thank my eternal friend Kang Gi-jung, who threw himself for South Jeolla and Gwangju. The integration of South Jeolla and Gwangju has long been a wish, and Mayor Kang put the finishing touch on that path," adding, "I will pour all my sincerity into making Honam politics no longer a subject of ridicule, but something that makes people proud of this place and lets them dream."
Rep. Shin and Mayor Kang plan to immediately form a unified election committee. Mayor Kang emphasized, "I will do my utmost as Shin's standing election chief," adding, "Together with Shin Jung-hun, I will carry on Kang Gi-jung's dream."
The Democratic Party of Korea's main primary for South Jeolla–Gwangju mayor will be held on the 3rd–5th of next month by combining "50% party members with voting rights, 50% public opinion poll." If no candidate wins a majority in the main primary, the first- and second-place finishers will hold a runoff vote on the 12th–14th of next month.