The matchup for ruling and opposition candidates for 31 basic local government heads in the Gyeonggi region in the June 3 local elections has taken shape.
In the People Power Party, 20 incumbent mayors and county heads are seeking reelection, while in the Democratic Party of Korea, a former lawmaker, three former mayors, and 18 former and incumbent provincial, city, and county council members are set to clash.
According to the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea's Gyeonggi provincial chapters on the 5th, the Democratic Party of Korea as of today finalized all 31 mayoral and county head candidates. The People Power Party completed nominations in 30 areas, except Siheung.
The People Power Party's provincial chapter plans to select its Siheung mayoral candidate by accepting additional applications through the 7th.
The People Power Party has again put forward incumbent chiefs as candidates in most of the 22 places it won four years ago (2022) in the June 1 local elections.
They include Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin, Uijeongbu Mayor Kim Dong-geun, Yangju Mayor Kang Soo-hyun, Dongducheon Mayor Park Hyeong-deokg, Ansan Mayor Lee Min-geun, Goyang Mayor Lee Dong-hwan, Gwacheon Mayor Shin Kye-yong, Uiwang Mayor Kim Sung-jei, Guri Mayor Back Kyung-hyun, Namyangju Mayor Ju Gwang-deok, Osan Mayor Lee Kwon-jae, Gunpo Mayor Ha Eun-ho, Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae, Yeoju Mayor Lee Chung-woo, Icheon Mayor Kim Kyoung-hee, Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il, Gimpo Mayor Kim Byeong-soo, Gwangju Mayor Bang Se-hwan, Pocheon Mayor Baek Yeong-hyeon, Yeoncheon County Chief Kim Deok-hyun, Yangpyeong County Chief Jeon Jin-seon, and Gapyeong County Chief Seo Tae-won.
Uiwang Mayor Kim Sung-jei (elected in 2010, 2014, and 2022) and Gwacheon Mayor Shin Kye-yong (elected in 2014 and 2022) are aiming for their fourth and third terms, respectively. Aside from these two, all others are seeking reelection.
In the Democratic Party of Korea, with Pyeongtaek Mayor Jeong Jang-seon not running and Paju Mayor Kim Gyeong-il failing to win the nomination, seven incumbent mayors and county heads advanced to the general election.
They are Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-joon, Anyang Mayor Choi Dae-ho, Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-eek, Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-hee, Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, Siheung Mayor Im Byeong-taek, and Anseong Mayor Kim Bo-ra.
Mayors Lee Jae-joon, Cho Yong-eek, and Jeong Myeong-geun are seeking reelection; Mayors Park Seung-won, Im Byeong-taek, and Kim Bo-ra are seeking third terms; and Mayor Choi Dae-ho is aiming for a fourth term by tenure. Former Pocheon Mayor Park Yun-guk, if elected, would become a five-term local chief including time as county head.
In addition, 18 former lawmakers, former mayors, and former and incumbent local council members have joined the general election race to retake basic local governments.
They include former lawmaker Kim Byung-wook (Seongnam); provincial lawmaker Lee Gi-hyeong (Gimpo); and former provincial council members Min Gyeong-seon (Goyang), Cheon Young-mi (Ansan), Kim Wone-kee (Uijeongbu), Park Gwan-yeol (Gwangju), Cho Yong-ho (Osan), Seong Su-seok (Icheon), and Kim Gyeong-ho (Gapyeong).
In Gwacheon, former Mayor Kim Jong-cheon and incumbent Mayor Shin Kye-yong; in Gunpo, former Mayor Han Dae-hee and incumbent Mayor Ha Eun-ho; and in Pocheon, former Mayor Park Yun-guk and incumbent Mayor Baek Yeong-hyeon will face off again after four years.
Rematches will also take place in Uijeongbu and Yangju. In Uijeongbu, former provincial council member Kim Wone-kee and incumbent Mayor Kim Dong-geun will square off, and in Yangju, former city council member Jeong Deok-young and incumbent Mayor Kang Soo-hyun will face each other.