Will AI Expert Ha Jung-woo Run for Busan's North District? Insights on His Political Future

Political circles are watching whether Ha Jung-woo, the Blue House senior secretary for AI Future Planning, will enter the June 3 by-election for the Busan Buk-gap National Assembly seat. Jeon Jae-su, a three-term Democratic Party lawmaker from Busan Buk-gap and a candidate in the party’s Busan mayoral primary, revived Ha’s name after announcing his mayoral bid. Because Ha has not entirely ruled out a run, speculation within the ruling party that he could be fielded in Buk-gap has gained momentum.

After a press conference on the 2nd in front of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries building in Dong District, Busan, Jeon told reporters he intends to resign his National Assembly seat before the 30th so the by-election can be held alongside the June 3 local elections. “I expect a new generation with new approaches and attitudes to emerge,” he said. “Someone like Secretary Ha would be ideal.”

“Just because I want him to run doesn’t mean he will,” Jeon added, saying the party will discuss and consider candidates. Busan Buk-gap is the only constituency the Democratic Party currently holds among the city’s 18 seats.

As the Blue House’s top aide on AI policy, Ha is reported to be weighing his responsibility to help design the government’s future growth strategy against the opportunity to broaden his role and political influence through electoral politics.

In a phone interview with Dailian on the 5th, Ha said the sudden surge in talk about his candidacy likely stemmed from Jeon’s comments and cautioned, “Nothing has been decided yet.”

Until recently Ha had strongly denied any intention to run; by leaving the possibility open he has added momentum to speculation about his entry. Born in 1977, Ha is a Busan native and a graduate of Gudeok High School. Jeon, born in 1971, is an older alumnus of the same school.

After meeting Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae at the National Assembly on the 12th of last month, Jeon told reporters he had invested significant effort trying to recruit Ha as a Buk-gap candidate but had not initially succeeded. Still, ruling party channels have continued persuasion efforts, prompting suggestions that Ha’s position may have softened.

Talk of a possible Ha Jung-woo bid in Busan picked up after President Lee Jae-myung joked at a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries briefing on Dec. 23 last year, “Isn’t ‘Ha GPT’ (Ha’s nickname) from Busan? Why don’t you stay here instead of coming to Seoul?”

Ha previously led Naver Cloud’s AI Innovation Center and is a deep-learning expert who oversaw Naver’s AI efforts. He played a major role in developing the company’s generative AI HyperCLOVA X and has argued for the need for a sovereign AI tailored to national interests — an emphasis President Lee highlighted during the campaign.

Within the broader ruling coalition, former South Gyeongsang governor Kim Du-kwan and Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party, have been mentioned as potential candidates. On the opposition side, former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik has already begun campaigning in Buk-gap, and Han Dong-hoon, who was expelled from the People Power Party, is also weighing a run.

However, because both Han and Cho are desperate to secure seats in the legislature, many observers expect they will opt for districts where their chances are higher; neither has roots in Buk-gap. Suh Byung-soo, the former Busan mayor and chair of the Buk-gap party committee, is reportedly favoring a third candidate rather than running himself.

A Busan political insider told Dailian that Busan’s North District still has a strong localist streak, so unless a candidate is from the district it is very difficult to consolidate votes.

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