Ahead of the June 3 local elections, public sentiment in Daegu, known as the "heart of conservatism," is wavering. Since democratization, Daegu has never once yielded the mayor's seat to a progressive party, making it a representative conservative stronghold.
The Democratic Party of Korea nominated Kim Boo-kyum, a symbolic figure within the party for breaking regionalism, to topple the conservative stronghold. Kim, a former prime minister, served four terms in the National Assembly and has a record of being elected in Daegu Suseong-gap. In response, the People Power Party put forward Choo Kyung-ho, a three-term lawmaker who served as floor leader and deputy prime minister for the economy.
Public sentiment in the Daegu mayoral race was truly "in the fog." In a favorability poll commissioned by Channel A and conducted by Research & Research on the 17th–19th, Kim had 42.2% and Choo had 37.7%, with the two candidates in a close race within the margin of error (±4.4 percentage points). The survey was conducted with 803 eligible voters in Daegu using 100% wireless phone interviews. The response rate was 12.9%, and the sampling error was ±3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
◇ "If Daegu is to change even 1%, it needs to elect the Democratic Party"
On the 19th around Seomun Market and the Dongseong-ro area, Daegu's busiest downtown, it was easy to hear voices supporting Kim, saying "It's time for a change."
A person surnamed Kim (63), who has run an herb shop in Seomun Market for more than 10 years, said, "Including me, merchants around me often say that the economy is tough these days and we have to find a way to survive somehow," adding, "As a result, a mood favoring the Democratic Party has formed. Now that the Lee Jae-myung administration holds power, wouldn't the situation improve in terms of support for the regional economy?"
A taxi driver, a person surnamed Lee (49), said, "If Daegu is to change even 1% this time, it's worth giving Kim a chance," adding, "So far, whether the central government was conservative or progressive, Daegu's mayors were all from the conservative camp, but there has been no change that citizens could feel, and the economy has only gotten worse. It's time to sound the alarm."
A person surnamed Yoon (38), who works at a restaurant on Dongseong-ro, said, "It's not that I particularly like the Democratic Party, but it looks better than the People Power Party right now," adding, "The People Power Party still seems lost after the martial law. Even just looking at this primary process, rather than a competition that citizens could accept, the candidate was decided based on internal figures' interests, turning it into a mudslinging fight."
◇ "We must stop the ruling party's runaway… at least in Daegu, the People Power Party"
Among older people, the conservative tide still looked robust. They said, "We dislike the People Power Party for not doing its job," but added, "No matter what, Daegu is conservative."
A person surnamed Kang (68), who runs a clothing store in Seomun Market, said, "If even Daegu is handed over to the Democratic Party, the ruling party's runaway will get worse. We must prevent that." Kang continued, "Above all, what has the Democratic Party tangibly contributed to Daegu's development so far?" adding, "It's not desirable to move like migratory birds just because approval ratings are high."
A citizen from Nam-gu, identified as A (75), who came to shop at Seomun Market, said, "It makes no sense for Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party to win in Daegu," adding, "They say the current ruling party is trying to wipe out the president's crimes through a dismissal of indictment—surely that's not right." Another citizen also said, "We dislike the People Power Party for not doing its job," but added, "Even so, at least in Daegu we should vote for the People Power Party."
◇ Daegu at the bottom in GRDP for 33 years… the 'conservative stronghold' formula wavers
Daegu citizens we met that day agreed that the "Daegu equals conservative" formula has weakened, regardless of whom they support. They said a person who can solve local issues should be elected rather than someone defined by a political camp. The stagnant regional economy is cited as the cause. Daegu's per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) has ranked the lowest nationwide for 33 years, and over the past 10 years, 130,000 young people have left their hometown.
A person surnamed Kim (45), who runs a mobile phone shop on Dongseong-ro, said, "Daegu now needs to break away from the framework of Daegu equals conservative and Jeolla equals progressive," adding, "If a particular party is continuously backed by one region as if it's a given, politicians will stop being vigilant. That won't help regional development."
A college student, a person surnamed Kim (24), met on Dongseong-ro said the person had not decided on a candidate yet, adding, "Daegu has no jobs, so most of my seniors go to Seoul," and "Both candidates are touting job pledges, but how feasible they are will be key." The person added, "Automatically supporting conservatives just because it's Daegu is something older people say."