Rep. Jung Chung-rae (left), chair of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, drinks water alongside the party’s Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o during a candidate meeting in Seoul on May 11. (Joint Press Corps via Yonhap)
Rep. Jung Chung-rae (left), chair of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, drinks water alongside the party’s Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o during a candidate meeting in Seoul on May 11. (Joint Press Corps via Yonhap)

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s lead for the June 3 local elections appears to be narrowing as conservative voters regroup in key battlegrounds, particularly in Seoul, recent polls showed.

In a Gallup Korea poll released Friday, 44 percent of respondents nationwide said more ruling party candidates should win, compared with 33 percent who favored more opposition victories. In the previous survey, the gap was wider at 46 percent to 30 percent.

The pollster did not mention the Democratic Party or the main opposition People Power Party by name in the question.

The narrowing trend has become especially visible in Seoul, considered the symbolic centerpiece of the election. In the same survey, support in Seoul was evenly split, with 40 percent saying more ruling party candidates should win and another 40 percent favoring more opposition victories.

This marked a noticeable shift from late April, when support for more ruling party wins in Seoul stood at 43 percent, compared with 35 percent for opposition-backed victories.

A separate Gallup Korea poll released May 13 showed Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o leading incumbent conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon by 8 percentage points, 46 percent to 38 percent. The margin was significantly smaller than the 15-point gap recorded in April.

Political analyst Lee Jong-hoon said such tightening is typical as elections near, with conservative voters consolidating and undecided moderates making late choices.

“There is a natural tendency for core supporters from both camps to rally as the election approaches,” Lee said. “This election is showing a similar pattern.”

Observers have also pointed to backlash over the Democratic Party’s recent push for a controversial special counsel bill targeting alleged “fabricated prosecutions” under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Proposed in late April, the bill drew criticism from the opposition, which claimed it was aimed at clearing legal risks surrounding President Lee Jae Myung, as it sought to give the special counsel authority to cancel indictments and ongoing prosecutions.

The Gallup Korea poll released Friday showed 44 percent opposed granting such authority, compared with 27 percent in favor.

Some officials within the Democratic Party have also raised concerns about campaign strategy, especially in Seoul.

Party insiders have complained that Chong has struggled to seize the initiative against Oh in the capital’s closely watched mayoral race, while others argued the party leadership has failed to respond strongly enough on housing and real estate issues — a key concern among Seoul voters.

“This should have been a race about judging Oh Se-hoon’s city administration, but the campaign has often looked as if it is being dragged into responding to Oh’s attacks,” a Democratic Party official said on condition of anonymity.

Pressure mounts on Jung

The shifting atmosphere has increased pressure on Democratic Party Chair Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who took office last August.

Jung has spent recent weeks campaigning nationwide in an effort to prevent slippage in battleground areas.

Asked about narrowing poll gaps in competitive races, Jung said he was focusing on grassroots campaigning across the nation.

“The reason I’m traveling across the country is ultimately to visit one more place and meet one more person to show that we are doing our utmost until the very end,” he said Wednesday at the National Assembly in Seoul.

Still, some within the party worry that disappointing results in Seoul could overshadow victories elsewhere and weaken Jung’s political standing ahead of the party convention scheduled for August, where he is widely expected to seek another term as chair.

A senior Democratic Party official said Seoul would likely become the key benchmark for judging the election outcome.

“For example, even if we win most races, if we lose Seoul, there will be an assessment that we effectively lost the local elections,” the official said on condition of anonymity.


flylikekite@heraldcorp.com