The June 3 local elections signaled that Seoul's Gwanak District is no longer a one-sided stronghold of the Democratic Party of Korea. Analysts said conservative leanings strengthened in areas concentrated with people in their 20s and 30s around Line No. 2 station zones, creating cracks in the existing political landscape.
Resident registration demographics show that as of May, among Gwanak District's total population of 478,154, those aged 20–39 who fall into the 2030 bracket number 196,036, or about 40%. That makes Gwanak one of the areas that represents young public sentiment. Gwanak has long served as a stronghold for the Democratic Party. Except for the 8th local elections in 2022, when candidate Oh Se-hoon won by a landslide, Gwanak chose the Democratic Party.
Even in the 2022 presidential election, when President Lee Jae-myung lost to Yoon Suk-yeol, Gwanak chose Lee. Lee received 50.32%, a margin of 17,340 votes, and in the 22nd general election in 2024, Democratic Party candidates won in both Gwanak A and Gwanak B.
In this Seoul mayoral race, Democratic Party candidate Chong Won-o won, but a close look at the vote by neighborhood shows a drift in the sentiments of the "2030" generation. Chong Won-o and Oh Se-hoon received 51.68% (134,851 votes) and 44.28% (115,522 votes), respectively. However, by neighborhood in Gwanak, in Nakseongdae-dong, Chong Won-o of the Democratic Party of Korea won 3,841 votes, while Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party tallied 3,953, leading by 112 votes.
In Sillim-dong as well, Chong led by a razor-thin margin of just 70 votes. Oh also held an advantage in Seorim-dong and Namhyeon-dong. These areas are close to Line No. 2 station zones and are considered neighborhoods with a high proportion of people in their 20s and 30s. In areas where Line No. 2 station zones and clusters of officetels and new housing are concentrated, drawing many young office workers, the race flipped or turned into a neck-and-neck contest.
By contrast, in Nanhyang-dong and Nangok-dong—traditional clusters of low-rise housing with residents age 50 and older making up 49% and 52%—Chong Won-o won 54.5% (6,028 votes) and 54.4% (3,987 votes), respectively, comfortably outpacing Oh by 11–12 percentage points.
This outcome differs from Gwanak's past image as a Democratic Party of Korea "stronghold," with youth job scarcity and real estate cited as reasons for the divergence. A 25-year-old male college student surnamed Lee, who moved up from Gwangju and lives near Seoul National University Station, said, "I made a different choice from my parents, who support the Democratic Party," adding, "There's a perception that the Democratic Party has failed to solve the problem as housing prices have surged and finding a job has become harder." He added, "On real estate and jobs, more of my friends actually agree with the conservative camp's arguments."
A 30-year-old woman surnamed Kim, who lives in Inheon-dong and commutes to Mapo District, also said, "Honestly, in the past I would have voted for the Democratic Party without much thought," but added, "This time, for the first time, I chose Oh Se-hoon." She said, "I felt there was a difference in name recognition, and it seemed (Oh's side) could stabilize housing prices by expanding reconstruction or apartment supply rather than relying on public rental housing."
Political circles interpret Gwanak as a "microcosm" of changing political dynamics in Seoul. A political insider said, "Clear differences in political leanings are emerging between station-area neighborhoods, which have seen an influx of middle-class young office workers, and long-term residential areas centered on older low-rise housing," adding, "It's no longer easy to see Gwanak as a one-sided Democratic Party stronghold." The insider added, "This shows Seoul politics is being reorganized around generations and classes, moving away from the old Gangnam-versus-Gangbuk framework."