A special election in the Yeonsu-gu A district has become more likely after Democratic Party lawmaker Park Chan-dae announced his bid for Incheon mayor. Some members of the People Power Party (PPP) are now urging the party to recruit former emergency committee chair Hwang Woo-yeo (pictured).
An Incheon Ilbo poll showing the Democratic candidate far ahead has increased calls within the PPP for a symbolic figure who might reverse the race.
On the 21st, Incheon Ilbo released results from a hypothetical head-to-head poll it commissioned from Hangil Research Co., conducted May 17–18 among 615 voters in Yeonsu-gu A. The simulated Democratic candidate received 58.3%, while the simulated PPP candidate got 30.5%, a 27.8-percentage-point gap. Although Jeong Seung-yeon, the district party chair, and Jeong Hae-kwon, chair of the Incheon City Council, have been mentioned as possible PPP contenders, party insiders and outside analysts say the current lineup lacks competitiveness.
Against that backdrop, some within the party are focusing on Hwang Woo-yeo, often described as a senior conservative statesman. A veteran who served four terms representing Yeonsu before Songdo International City was separated from the constituency, he still holds strong local roots and name recognition. His history of stepping in as emergency committee chair to steady the party during crises adds symbolic weight.
Hwang now heads Hwang & C Law Firm in Songdo and maintains an active public profile. He continues to engage with the local community, and some observers say his entry could generate a degree of consolidation among voters.
But whether he will run remains uncertain. A key question is whether the PPP leadership will reorganize enough to justify using a strategic nomination. It is also unclear whether Hwang would decide to run given the clearly unfavorable electoral landscape.
A local political source said, "There is a sense of crisis that it's hard to reverse the race with the current figures. If a symbolic figure like Hwang steps in, the electoral dynamics could shift."
Hwang said, "I feel a great responsibility because the conservative camp is effectively decimated. Senior party figures are urging me to run, but my family opposes it, so I'm conflicted."
/Byun Seong-won, reporter bsw906@incheonilbo.com
Incheon Ilbo commissioned Hangil Research Co. to conduct the survey May 17–18 among 615 men and women aged 18 or older living in the Yeonsu-gu A district. The sample was drawn by random selection with quotas for gender, age, and region, and the survey was conducted 100% via wireless (virtual-number) ARS. The response rate was 6.2%, and results were weighted by gender, age, and region based on resident registration population data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as of the end of February. The margin of error is ±4.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.
