Political observers’ eyes are on whether two reformers who defected from the ruling Saenuri Party will be able to win seats in next week’s election and bring new voices to the bipartisan political structure.

Reps. Jeong Tae-keun and Kim Song-sik are running for office as independent candidates in the northern Seongbuk-A and the southwestern Gwanak-A constituency in Seoul.

The two reform-inclined conservatives broke away from the ruling party in December, claiming that the party’s renewal efforts were insufficient and insincere.

Jeong also staged a hunger strike earlier in November, urging parties to reach a peaceful agreement on the disputed Korea-U.S. trade deal and denounce the use of violence in the National Assembly.

“We hope to break free from old factional disputes and kick off a new political culture,” they said last month, pledging to enter the race on their own.

Seoul has always been a hard battlefield for non-party figures and should these two succeed, they would become the first independent candidates to win in Seoul since Rep. Hong Sa-duk in 1996.

The top priority for the two is to convey their new political identity to the voters.

The Saenuri Party declined to contest the corresponding constituencies, a gesture that the two lawmakers will be invited back into the party after the elections.

“This proves that Jeong and Kim effectively represent the Saenuri Party in their district,” said their liberal opponents You Seung-hee and Yoo Ki-hong in a joint statement.

“They are only attempting to differentiate themselves from the Lee Myung-bak government and to temporarily shake off the party’s falling poll numbers before the elections.”

The two, however, denied the claims and pledged not to rejoin their former party regardless of the election results.

Kim mostly canvassed his constituency in the company of a single aide and wearing a white jacket instead of the Saenuri’s signature red color.

“I may be the incumbent representative in the area but it was a hard decision to give up the party’s support just before the elections,” he said.

The greatest obstacle is to fight the misconception of those misunderstood his motives, he also said.

“As several members recently broke away from the party amid the nomination feuds, some thought that I was no different, though I defected long before the election talks started,” he said.

“I made the decision because the party did not make genuine moves to achieve the reforms it claimed to.”

Jeong also maintained his critical view of his former home party and its leader Rep. Park Geun-hye.

“The party has made efforts such as recruiting political rookies and adopting reformative policies, but its results are not yet sufficient to win back the people’s heart,” he said.

The two expect a tight race in their constituencies, though few public polls have so far been announced, but nevertheless pledged to achieve conservative reform in politics.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)