SisaWeek = Reporter Jeon Du-seong Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party appears to be in the final stretch of a possible run for Daegu mayor in the June 3 local elections. On the 26th, he made remarks during a meeting with party leader Jung Cheong-rae that suggested he is leaning toward a candidacy. Kim plans to announce a definitive decision on whether he will run on the 30th.
That day, Jung and Kim met at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, to discuss Kim’s potential candidacy. Jung urged him to run, saying, “You are the only guaranteed winner who can take Daegu,” and formally requested his candidacy.
Jung also outlined potential support for Daegu. “If it's something Daegu needs, and if Prime Minister Kim requests it, I want to be the 'do-everything' center chief — I want to make it happen,” he said, promising to advance long-standing projects such as the proposed civilian-military integrated airport.
Following Jung’s remarks, Kim signaled he was seriously considering a run. He began by saying Jung had “closed off any escape route” to ensure he could not back out. He acknowledged he had been weighing the option of giving younger candidates a chance, but added that party workers on the ground and former colleagues in Daegu had urged him, “Let’s endure one more time,” which made him feel he could not easily decline.
In response, Jung again described Kim as “public property” and pressed him to run. Kim laughed and said, “You drove the final nail so there’s nothing left to say.”
After roughly a 40-minute meeting, Kim said he would announce his decision on the 30th. He told reporters, “Jung wrapped me up so tightly I can’t run away, and that put me in an awkward position. I need to consult with others over the weekend, so I’ll state my position clearly next Monday, the 30th.”
With Kim planning to make an announcement next week, the Democratic Party will reopen candidate applications for the Daegu mayoral race on the 27th. To date, no Democratic Party member has formally declared a run.
◇ Three-way race possible — the conservative heartland becomes a battleground
Kim’s likely entry has thrust Daegu — long regarded as a conservative stronghold — into the center of this year’s local election battle. Polls currently give Kim an edge over the People Power Party candidates, and intra-party tensions have escalated after Ju Ho-young, who was excluded from the party primary, filed for an injunction to suspend the cut-off decision and signaled he might leave the party to run as an independent. Those developments raise the prospect of a three-way race.
Ju, who filed the injunction the same day, told reporters at the National Assembly, “I am not seeking an injunction over the cut-off because I’m a victim of revenge or targeted nomination. I am fighting a politically motivated purge that would turn the People Power Party into a private faction.”
After his press conference, Ju left open the possibility of leaving the party and running as an independent. Asked whether he would consider such a move depending on the injunction’s outcome, he said, “I expect the injunction to be accepted, so I haven’t made a decision yet, but we are preparing for every possible scenario.”
With Ju’s potential exit and independent candidacy on the table, the idea of a three-way contest for Daegu mayor has gained traction. Park Seong-hoon, the People Power Party’s chief spokesman, told reporters on the 25th, “If Vice Speaker Ju forces an independent run, the election could become more difficult. If he decides to run independently, the party will adjust its campaign strategy accordingly.”
Another candidate who was cut, former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook, has also voiced objections, deepening the party’s internal rift over the Daegu nomination.
Meanwhile, Kim’s campaign is wary of the implications of his polling lead. They fear that visible strength in the polls could galvanize conservative voters and harden opposition tactics.
Kim’s team told reporters, “From an electoral-engineering perspective, if Kim polls highly it could provoke a reaction from the other side, so it’s better not to publicize those numbers.”
