The Democratic Party of Korea successfully defended its traditional stronghold as candidate Lee Won-taek won the Jeonbuk gubernatorial race, considered the most fiercely contested battleground in the June 3 local elections. Facing a strong challenge from independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, a former Democratic Party member, the party rallied its base through a "ruling party-government one team" strategy and an all-out support campaign by the leadership. However, internal conflicts triggered by nomination disputes and shifting public sentiment remain challenges to address going forward.
According to the National Election Commission, as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, Lee was leading with 51.6% of the vote, ahead of Kim (41.66%) by a 9.94 percentage point margin. While exit polls by the three major broadcasters (KBS, MBC, and SBS) had predicted a tight race with Lee at 48.5% and Kim at 46.3%, the gap widened as ballot counting progressed.
The Jeonbuk gubernatorial race drew attention as a stage to test the Democratic Party's organizational strength and the leadership of Chung Chung-rae. With Kim, who was expelled from the Democratic Party over a "proxy fee payment controversy," pushing ahead with an independent run, the contest evolved into a head-to-head matchup between pro-Chung and anti-Chung factions. As various opinion polls showed Kim leading Lee within the margin of error, considerable concern emerged within and outside the Democratic Party that "even Jeonbuk, our stronghold, cannot be taken for granted."
Behind Lee's victory lies the "central government-ruling party one team" argument. While Kim emphasized incumbent advantage and continuity in provincial administration, Lee took to the front line the prospect of regional development through organic cooperation between the central and local governments. Lee notably pledged to complete Hyundai Motor Group's 9 trillion won investment in Saemangeum. He also presented a blueprint to attract 200 trillion won in investment by jointly building a large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor mega-cluster.
The Democratic Party also went all out to defend Jeonbuk. Party leader Chung Chung-rae, floor leader Han Byung-do, and other party leaders and incumbent lawmakers visited Jeonbuk one after another for support rallies. As a result, voters who had been wavering until the final days of the campaign tilted toward Lee, allowing him to take command of the race, observers said. Some local political analysts noted that consolidation among Democratic Party supporters became evident after early voting.
Born in Gimje, Jeonbuk, Lee entered politics in 2005 by taking up a party post at the Uri Party. The following year, he was elected as a Jeonju city councilor, beginning his political career in earnest. In 2017, he served as an administrator in the Office of Balanced Development Secretary and the Office of Local Autonomy Development Secretary at the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in administration. After winning a National Assembly seat for Gimje-Buan in Jeonbuk in the 2020 general election, he was re-elected representing Gunsan-Gimje-Buan B.
At the same time, in another battleground race for Daegu mayor, People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho recorded 50.02% against Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum's 48.93%, a margin of 1.09 percentage points. Daegu has been a representative conservative stronghold where People Power Party-affiliated parties have shown overwhelming dominance in past local elections, but observers said a Kim victory could be recorded as a symbolic upset in the history of local elections.
In the Busan mayoral race, Democratic Party candidate Jeon Jae-soo recorded 51.88% against People Power Party candidate Park Heong-jun's 46.57%. Busan has traditionally been a stronghold of the People Power Party, but analysts said signs of change in the political landscape are emerging amid generational shifts and industrial restructuring in recent years. In the Gangwon gubernatorial race, Democratic Party candidate Woo Sang-ho recorded 51.38% against People Power Party candidate Kim Jin-tae's 48.61%.
