"In this hyper-connected era, what does birthplace even matter? Gupo has always had plenty of outsiders," said Jung Jin-doo, a resident of Buk-gu.
"If there's conservatism, there must be progressivism, and vice versa. The era of riding on regionalism is over," said another Buk-gu resident surnamed Son.
Two days before the June 3 National Assembly by-election, Busan's Buk-A district — emerging as the most fiercely contested battleground in this election — was witnessing intense last-minute campaigning, with the two-way race between Democratic Party candidate Ha Jung-woo and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon hardening.
What stood out was that volunteers vastly outnumbered official campaign staff. Volunteers wearing T-shirts or jackets bearing their candidate's number engaged in casual conversations with citizens, explaining each candidate's strengths. Some residents stopped to discuss the election with them.
While past campaigns were centered on party organizations and candidates, observers say this Buk-A race is marked by "fandom-style campaigning" driven by volunteers and supporters. Supporters who flocked in as volunteers are directly engaging with voters on the ground, swaying sentiment.
On the ground, there was a palpable sense that voters value individual candidate competitiveness over party labels. The phrase "this time, I'm voting for the person, not the party" came up repeatedly among residents. Although Buk-A has long been seen as a stronghold for the Democratic Party compared with other Busan districts, the long-standing Busan electoral formula centered on "native-born status," "party," and "ideology" appears to be rapidly unraveling.
Kim, 75, who runs a vegetable shop at the Sinmandeok Jeil General Market, raised his voice and said, "Busan native? Does that even matter? This isn't a vote just for ourselves — it's for the country to do well. Outsider or local, it doesn't matter."
A merchant running a workwear shop at Gupo Market explained, "I'm a People Power Party member, but the era of unconditionally voting for the red party (PPP) is over. When I see Han Dong-hoon walking around lately, I see Jeon Jae-soo in him."
In particular, the Buk-A election has shown a strong tendency to judge candidates based on what role they can play for the district. Some residents viewed candidate Han as a fresh alternative who could check the government, while others saw candidate Ha as a capable contender who could lead Busan's development in step with the current administration.
Park Tae-sook, 70, a Buk-gu resident, said, "We need to keep the ruling party in check through this election. Former lawmaker Jeon Jae-soo did a good job, so there are many Democratic Party supporters in this area, but seeing how candidate Han is also polling well, there seems to be a strong desire for checks and balances too."
In contrast, one resident who said he supports candidate Ha praised Ha's experience working at the presidential office. "It was impressive to see the president call him 'HaGPT' and work alongside him," he said. "Wouldn't his experience working in the current government also help develop Buk-gu?"
Another local resident, Kim, 65, said, "The People Power Party is full of vested interests and is not on the right track. I'll vote for the ruling party to bring Busan to its senses." He added, "The president is doing a good job now, and we need to give him more strength so that Busan can develop further going forward."
Younger voters tended to evaluate candidates based on specific pledges. Kim Sang-min, 38, whom the reporter met near Gupo Market, stressed, "When more outsiders come in, the area becomes more vibrant. Raising three children, I've always felt that Buk-gu lacks entertainment and cultural facilities, so I'm pinning my hopes on candidate Han, who has talked about things like the Nakdong River Arena."
Meanwhile, Buk-A by-election candidates Ha Jung-woo, Han Dong-hoon, and Park Min-shik each held separate press conferences alongside their campaign rallies that day, appealing for last-minute support from their bases.
"As someone recognized as a 'capable worker' by President Lee Jae-myung and Jeon Jae-soo, I will take responsibility for Buk-gu's golden window of development," Ha said. "If you give me the chance to work, I will absolutely deliver results."
"Use Han Dong-hoon as the stepping stone and tool for Buk-gu's great leap forward," Han stressed. "I will turn Buk-gu into the No. 1 district in Korea and make it a true power player."
"We cannot entrust Buk-gu's fate to rookie first-term candidates who will waste their term just adapting to the National Assembly," Park said. "As soon as I'm elected, I will protect Buk-gu's golden window as a powerful three-term veteran."
