Cha Young-soo, former chairman of the Budget and Accounts Committee of the South Jeolla Provincial Council, has been confirmed as the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Gangjin County chief in the June 3 local elections.
Immediately after the primary results were announced, Cha declared his resolve to win the general election, stating, "This is a great victory for the county residents and party members who yearn for change and development in Gangjin."
In his acceptance message, Cha said, "I bow my head in deep gratitude to the residents and party members who believed in me and chose me." He emphasized, "I will connect the passionate support you showed during the primary to a landslide victory in the general election and repay you with results that will tangibly change your lives."
Cha continued, "The general election is not simply about electing a county chief—it is a critical crossroads that will determine whether Gangjin rises to become the center of the South Jeolla-Gwangju integration era." He added, "As a strong ruling party candidate working with President Lee Jae-myung, I will secure full support from the central government and realize the 'era of a 1 trillion won budget for Gangjin.'"
Cha also extended words of comfort to Kim Bo-mi, who competed fiercely against him in the primary, saying, "Kim Bo-mi's youthful spirit and passion for Gangjin are valuable assets for our Democratic Party." He officially proposed, "I will fully embrace the excellent pledges presented during the primary to form a 'Gangjin Development Community,' and I ask her to become 'one team' that runs together solely for Gangjin's future."
With the Democratic Party candidate now confirmed, a de facto two-way race against incumbent County Chief Kang Jin-won is expected.
Kang is scheduled to hold a press conference on the 9th at Ogamtong in Gangjin-eup to officially announce his independent candidacy. He is reportedly planning to resign from his county chief position that afternoon and complete preliminary candidate registration with the election commission.
Kang was excluded from the Democratic Party primary after receiving a six-month party membership suspension over allegations of illegal member recruitment.
While Kang is citing the need for continuity of key projects from his eighth term in office, overcoming community fatigue over his fourth non-consecutive term bid appears to be a challenge he must address.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party candidate Cha Young-soo is being recognized for demonstrating his capabilities through his 'core network in central politics' that enables direct communication with President Lee Jae-myung and the party's central leadership. This is evidenced by the appointment of Kim Yong, former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute, as his fundraising committee chairman, showing his reach extends beyond local politics.