Ruling party candidates, independents threaten DUP dominance in Jeolla provinces


From bustling Gwangju to breezy Haenam, the southwestern provinces of Jeolla have safe liberal seats for decades.

Races there have been dull in past elections, as voters gave almost unconditional support to late President Kim Dae-jung and the political parties that carried on his legacy.

In Wednesday’s election, however, the electorate may break the mold and vote for the biggest surprises of all races, electing a key ally to conservative governing Saenuri Party chief Park Geun-hye as their representative.

“The Democratic United Party turned complacent, because we always voted for whoever they put up as candidates,” Kim Hyung-ja, a 53-year-old resident of Gwangju, referring to the main opposition party. “They must try their best to field competitive candidates, before asking for votes.”

The Honam region, which refers to Gwangju and both South and North Jeolla provinces, has a total of 30 seats up for grabs.

Of them, the DUP, which has its roots in the former president’s Democratic Party, is seen leading comfortably in 22 constituencies. The party did not name a candidate in two precincts.

In the remaining six, the party is facing challenges from independent candidates, far-left minority Unified Progressive Party and even from the Saenuri Party.

The competitors are trying to gain a foothold in Honam, capitalizing on growing voter disappointment at the DUP, after the party’s candidate selection process was marred by irregularities and accusations of unfairness.

Honam has never voted a right-winger to an elected post, except in 1985 when two members of then-governing Democratic Justice Party, a precursor of Saenuri, earned parliamentary seats there under the multi-member constituency system. Under the system, a constituency was represented by more than one lawmaker.

In March, a voluntary campaigner for the party’s pre-preliminary candidate jumped to death in Gwangju amid allegations of election law violations.

Five sitting lawmakers defected from the party, after they were denied candidacy. They are now running as independent candidates.

Of all races in the region, the contest for Gwangju’s Seo-B seat is drawing most attention for the possibility of the first-ever conservative victory.

Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, a right-hand man to Saenuri chief and strongest presidential candidate Park, is leading rival Oh Byung-yun of the UPP.

Lee appeals to voters with past efforts as a parliamentarian to safeguard national budgets allotted to development projects in the under-developed region. Oh, who won the DUP-UPP alliance’s sole candidacy, is trying to rally traditional DUP supporters behind him.

Polls conducted early last week, before a ban by the national election watchdog, showed the two were within margin of error apart.

If Lee wins, the Saenuri will gain the much-needed foothold in Honam region ahead of a presidential ballot at the end of the year, in which Park Geun-hye is widely expected to run.

The Saenuri is keeping its fingers crossed on another race in North Jeolla Province. In Jeonju-Wansan B district, Saenuri candidate and former agriculture minister Chung Un-chun is vigorously chasing DUP candidate Lee Sang-jik. Some polls place Chung within the margin of error from Lee.

In a bid to rally voters behind the DUP, Han Myeong-sook urged residents to choose her party in memory and honor of their late pro-democracy icon.

“President Kim Dae-jung will be happy if you vote for us. We can’t pull off a regime change without your support here,” she said.

She also warned that a split of liberal ballots could benefit Saenuri, urging voters not to be swayed by independent candidates who defected from the DUP.

“Even if the independents win the race, we will never allow them back,” Han said, referring to five defectors ― Choi In-kee, Cho Bae-sook, Shin Kuhn, Cho Young-teck, Kim Jae-kyun.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)