In a poll for South Gyeongsang governor released on the 5th by the Gyeongnam Ilbo, Kim Kyeong-soo had 41.9% and Park Wan-su had 44.1%, a razor-thin margin within the margin of error. The poll was conducted by the polling firm Mono Research on the 1st and 2nd at the request of the Gyeongnam Ilbo, targeting 1,000 men and women ages 18 and older living in South Gyeongsang. It was carried out using an automated response system (ARS) to mobile phones, with a response rate of 7.7% and a margin of sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
This South Gyeongsang governor's race drew attention as a showdown between a former and a sitting governor. Incumbent Park Wan-su of the People Power Party and former governor Kim Kyeong-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea are going head-to-head. The fierce mood was palpable on the ground.
◇ Visiting Sangnam Market in Changwon… preference for those who work well over party
On the 8th at Sangnam Market in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, the merchants we met looked gloomy. The reason was a business district that worsens by the day. What mattered to them was not the party a candidate belongs to but "who can revive the local economy."
Yu, a person surnamed Yu (45, male) who runs a snack shop at Sangnam Market, said, "Neither candidate appeals to me." Yu said, "The commercial district is dying day by day, but during the periods when the two each served as South Gyeongsang governor, there was no change." Yu added, "Still, I will vote for the Democratic Party of Korea," and said, "Even in such hard times, we need to hold the People Power Party to account for doing nothing but jockeying for positions."
Seon, a person surnamed Seon (50, male) who runs a fruit store at Sangnam Market, said, "I support candidate Park Wan-su, but I'm embarrassed to say it out loud." Seon said, "Since 2010, Park Wan-su is the first governor to complete a full term," adding, "I want to give him one more chance so he can continue the policies promoted over the past four years." Candidate Kim Kyeong-soo lost his governorship in 2021 after a court acknowledged he colluded in a public opinion manipulation case during the 19th presidential election.
◇ In Jinju, voter sentiment splits by area and generation
In Jinju, voter sentiment split by region and generation. Jinju Central Market, which we visited on the 8th, skewed older and had a strong conservative bent.
Kim, a person surnamed Kim (70, female) who runs a vegetable shop at Central Market, said, "Unconditionally, candidate Park Wan-su is better." Kim's grounds for supporting Park Wan-su were his career, which started as a district lawmaker, then mayor of Changwon, and eventually governor of South Gyeongsang.
Kang, a taxi driver we met at Central Market (62, male), also said, "We should give our votes to the People Power Party," adding, "Not because we like the People Power Party, but to keep the Democratic Party's power from growing excessively."
But the atmosphere changed 180 degrees when we moved to the Jinju Innovation City. With the transfer of public corporations, including the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), this area, where people in their 30s and 40s who moved in from other regions mix with relatively younger native residents of Jinju, leaned centrist.
Jeon, a person surnamed Jeon (37, male) who runs a snack shop in the Jinju Innovation City, said, "No matter who gets elected, they end up being criticized," adding, "If that's the case, I'll vote for whoever benefits the area where I live." Jeon added, "Politicians only heed the public if we don't pledge loyalty to parties."
Kim, a person surnamed Kim (40, female) who was walking in the park with her elementary school son, said, "My registered address is Jinju, but we moved here only eight months ago," adding, "I don't know much about the candidates." Kim said, "When the campaign flyers arrive, I'll compare the candidates carefully and vote."
Another variable in the Jinju race is the failure of incumbent Jinju Mayor Cho Gyu-il to win his party's nomination. Even merchants who said they were indifferent to politics mentioned Mayor Cho by name. After Cho failed to win the People Power Party nomination and ran as an independent, the Jinju mayoral race became a three-way contest.
Lee, a taxi driver we met in the Jinju Innovation City (67, male), said, "The People Power Party has really fallen apart." Lee said, "In Jinju, they cast aside so easily someone who was born and raised here and has worked his whole life for his hometown," adding, "How can they expect us to trust them with our votes?"