With the June 3 local elections approaching, metropolitan government heads are taking a long time to calculate when to register as preliminary candidates. Registering as a preliminary candidate allows them to focus on campaigning, but at the same time their official duties are suspended, meaning they must set aside the so-called "incumbent premium."
According to the National Election Commission's election statistics system on the 31st, among the 17 metropolitan government heads nationwide, four people have registered as preliminary candidates: Kim Dong-yeon, governor of Gyeonggi Province; Lee Cheol-woo, governor of North Gyeongsang Province; Kim Yung-rok, governor of South Jeolla Province; and Kang Gi-jung, mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City.
Under current law, when an incumbent head of a local government registers as a preliminary candidate, duties are suspended immediately. Authority over document approvals, personnel, and budget execution is carried out by a deputy head such as a vice governor or vice mayor. The intent is to block vote-catching administration that could influence the election. For this reason, registering as a preliminary candidate is effectively seen as giving up the incumbent premium.
Even so, some local government heads are hurrying to register because party primaries are fierce. The Democratic Party of Korea primary for Gyeonggi governor is unfolding as a neck-and-neck three-way race among Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Choo Mi-ae, and Rep. Han Jun-ho. The main primary will be held on the 5th to 7th of next month, reflecting 50% votes from dues-paying party members and 50% from a public opinion poll. If no candidate wins a majority, the final nominee will be decided through a runoff on the 15th to 17th of the same month.
Competition is also intense for the unified special mayor candidate for South Jeolla and Gwangju ahead of administrative integration on July 1. As the region is traditionally a stronghold for the Democratic Party of Korea, the party primary is seen as effectively the general election. Currently, Governor Kim Yung-rok and Reps. Min Hyung-bae, Shin Jung-hoon, and Joo Cheol-hyeon are competing. After registering as a preliminary candidate, Mayor Kang Gi-jung agreed to unify with Rep. Shin Jung-hoon, reshaping the five-way race into a four-way race.
Many analyses say the candidates are evenly matched, making it hard to predict the outcome. Governor Kim Yung-rok's move to be the first among incumbent local government heads to register as a preliminary candidate is interpreted as a response to this tight race.
In the North Gyeongsang governor race, a competitive landscape has formed as Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member, challenged Governor Lee Cheol-woo's bid for a third term. The People Power Party plans to finalize its nominee through a head-to-head runoff between the winner of the preliminary primary and Governor Lee.
With the opponent decided on the 20th, Governor Lee registered as a preliminary candidate with the North Gyeongsang Election Commission and the next day opened a campaign office near the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government in Andong, launching a full-fledged campaign.
By contrast, local government heads who are favored for nomination or hold an advantage in the primary are not rushing to register as preliminary candidates. They are expected to highlight their administrative achievements while remaining in office, then proceed with candidacy procedures in mid-May, the candidate registration period.
Local government heads whose duties are suspended after registering as preliminary candidates will return to their posts after the June 3 election ends. They will then conduct the transition until the new local governments launch on July 1. Mayor Kang Gi-jung, whose duties were suspended due to preliminary candidate registration, also cannot return to duty until election day.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, even if duties are suspended, status is maintained, so salaries are paid as usual.