The mayoral races in Pyeongtaek and Anseong, the central axis of the semiconductor industrial belt in southwestern Gyeonggi Province, are reaching a fever pitch in the final stretch of the June 3 local elections.
Both cities sit along the industrial corridor connecting Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus and the Yongin semiconductor cluster, making regional development strategies and future growth engines the central issues of the election.
Pyeongtaek has become an open contest following the decision by incumbent Mayor Chung Jang-sun of the Democratic Party not to seek re-election. Chung had served as a self-acknowledged regional powerhouse, with a career spanning two terms as a provincial assembly member, three terms as a National Assembly member, and two terms as mayor.
Vying to fill Chung's seat are Choi Won-yong, the Democratic Party candidate and a Pyeongtaek native who served as head of the planning and coordination office under then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung during the seventh popularly elected administration, and Cha Hwa-yeol, the People Power Party candidate and a former civic activist who has worked in the region for more than 35 years, including as chairman of the Pyeongtaek Civic Group Council.
Choi plans to build on Pyeongtaek's semiconductor and future-industry growth foundation while improving residential conditions and pursuing balanced development. Cha, by contrast, argues that improvements in residents' quality of life have lagged behind the city's expansion in scale, and is emphasizing easing traffic congestion, reviving the local economy, and reforming administration.
The two candidates also differ in their approaches to strengthening industrial competitiveness through Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus and Pyeongtaek Port. While Choi stresses continuity in industrial growth, Cha criticizes that the fruits of growth have not been adequately shared with residents and argues for change.
In neighboring Anseong, incumbent Mayor Kim Bo-ra of the Democratic Party is seeking a third term. Challenging her is Kim Jang-yeon of the People Power Party, who is calling for a change in city administration. Shin Won-ju, a former chair of the city council who is running as an independent after losing in the Democratic Party primary, is also working to block Kim Bo-ra's third-term bid, drawing on a substantial local support base.
Kim Bo-ra is regarded as having distinctive competitiveness, having led city affairs as a progressive-party mayor for six years across the sixth (by-election) and seventh terms in Anseong, an area traditionally considered a stronghold of conservative parties. She points to her achievements during her tenure, including attracting the Anseong Campus for semiconductor materials, parts and equipment and the Hyundai Motor Group's future mobility battery campus, expanding industrial infrastructure and living-related social overhead capital, and improving the transportation network. She emphasizes continuity of projects and stable governance.
Kim Jang-yeon counters that achievements in attracting businesses and creating jobs have fallen short of expectations, and argues that more aggressive investment attraction and regulatory reform are needed. He has placed his top campaign pledge — the construction of a 1-million-pyeong "Anseong Matchum" new town — at the forefront, courting voters with promises including free provision of railway station sites, business attraction, and tailored pledges for young residents.
Shin Won-ju is highlighting his presence through efforts to address gaps in railway transportation, develop new industrial complexes, and strengthen support for small business owners.
The candidates from the two major parties are sparring particularly over development strategies linked to the semiconductor industrial belt. Kim Bo-ra is presenting a plan to nurture Anseong as a hinterland city for advanced industries connecting Yongin and Pyeongtaek, while Kim Jang-yeon counters that aggressive corporate attraction policies are needed to accelerate growth. With the election just around the corner, the two sides have filed successive complaints against each other on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act and false accusation.
In both Pyeongtaek and Anseong, expanding transportation networks, developing industrial complexes, and addressing balanced regional development have emerged as key election issues. The biggest challenge in this election is how to translate the growth effects of the southern metropolitan industrial belt into improvements in residents' quality of life.
A political insider in Pyeongtaek said, "As we close out the 'Chung Jang-sun era' and search for new urban development, citizens will look first and foremost at the candidates' capabilities."
A political insider in Anseong said, "In Anseong, the assessment of Kim Bo-ra's six years in office is expected to determine the vote."
