"All they ever do is fight. The disappointment is beyond words," said Kwon, a Busan resident.
At Gupo Market in Busan's Buk-gu district on its regular market day on the 3rd, sharp criticism and cold silence greeted questions about politics — even amid the lively bustle and the smell of fresh fish on the vendors' stalls. The voices of citizens encountered in market alleys, streets, and residential neighborhoods converged on a single point: condemnation that "the conservative party is failing to do its job." Even among those who have cast ballots for conservatives for generations, two sentiments erupted simultaneously — the anguish of "should I vote for the ruling party (Democratic Party) this time?" and the helplessness of "I don't see a reason to go to the polls."
Busan, along with Daegu, has long symbolized the "concrete support base" of Korean conservatism. In three general elections over the past decade, the conservative bloc swept 45 of 54 seats, and in the 2024 general election, it conceded only one seat to the Democratic Party. In local elections too, conservative mayors have controlled city hall for more than a decade, with the sole exception of 2018. Yet the cracks in voter sentiment detected on the ground this time are assessed as unusually deep.
Kang, 47, encountered near the Yeonje-gu city hall area, has been a lifelong die-hard conservative supporter, but now finds his allegiance adrift. "Normally by this time I would have picked a candidate, but right now it's exactly 50-50," he said. "It's true that I have an aversion to the Democratic Party since I'm in the real estate business, but I'm sick of conservative incompetence. Wouldn't it be more practical to trust the ruling party (Democratic Party), which can reliably bring in central government support?"
Underlying dissatisfaction with incumbent Mayor Park Heong-jun was also evident. Kang, 45, who said she voted for Park in the last election, noted, "I had high expectations because he was a former professor, but his achievements as an administrator have been faint." She added, "His running again feels more like a stepping stone for his next political move than about governing the city." She continued, "Jeon Jae-su, the likely ruling party candidate, has personal controversies, but I'm taking a second look at whether he's someone who will work for the region."
Calls for a "reckoning" are also intensifying — the argument that the long-ruling conservative bloc has failed to build Busan's fundamental economic strength. Last year, Busan's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate was 0.5%, only half the national average of 1.0%. Per capita GRDP has also lingered near the bottom of the national rankings, wounding the city's pride as Korea's "second city."
The traditional conservative stronghold around Dongmae Station in Saha-gu was equally frosty. A 77-year-old clothing vendor said, "The economy these days is absolutely the worst. The ruling party bulldozes through on the strength of its numbers, and the opposition (People Power Party) just fights — would voting change my life?" Jeon, 63, at Gupo Market in Buk-gu, took aim at the so-called "Yoon Again" faction, saying, "They are destroying the conservative movement by cutting into their own flesh." He said flatly, "I won't vote for the Democratic Party, but I'm giving up on the mayoral race entirely this time."
However, this "conservative disgust" does not appear to translate directly into votes for the Democratic Party. Park, 72, a taxi driver, said, "Everyone agrees that the People Power Party completely lacks the sharp identity an opposition party should have." But he added, "Still, it's hard to warm up to the Democratic Party, which scatters money every election. In the end, love them or hate them, won't people vote for the People Power Party again?" — revealing the conflicted feelings within.
The younger generation is looking beyond the ideological battle lines and focusing squarely on practical benefits. Kim, 24, encountered near Yeonsan Station, said, "All around here apartments have sprung up like a forest, but nothing has changed in young people's lives. I'll vote for someone who will sincerely tackle employment and housing issues, regardless of party."
The lineup for the June 3 local elections is already heating up. Within the People Power Party, incumbent Mayor Park and Joo Jin-woo, the lawmaker representing Haeundae-gap, have entered the primary race. On the Democratic Party side, three-term lawmaker Jeon Jae-su and former city party chairman Lee Jae-sung have raised the banner of "reclaiming Busan," squaring off in a head-to-head battle.