Preliminary candidates for local elections begin registration

By Kim Nam-hee
SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- The nationwide race for local elected posts began in
earnest Tuesday, with preliminary candidates registering to run for the offices
of governor, mayor and superintendents of education in provinces and
municipalities.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and opposition parties will clash in the
June 2 elections -- the nation's largest with 3,991 seats at stake -- while the
GNP's approval ratings hover at 40 percent in several public opinion polls.
Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), called the
election "the judgment against the President Lee Myung-bak administration" in a
New Year's press conference and raised the possibility of a coalition of
opposition parties led by the DP.
Governors, mayors, members of local councils, superintendents of education and
education committee members will serve four-year terms.
Registered preliminary candidates are eligible to run an election campaign within
a limited scope by opening a campaign office, hiring employees, mailing campaign
materials, distributing business cards, wearing shoulder bands, utilizing Web
sites and selling pamphlets.
Incumbents and National Assembly lawmakers, on the other hand, are cautious about
registering as preliminary candidates, as incumbent governors and mayors have to
suspend their duties after registration, and National Assembly members must
resign from office.
The elections in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon Metropolitan City are
attracting the most public attention.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has decided not to register for the time being as a
preliminary candidate for reelection, as once incumbent chiefs of local
governments register, their duties and authority are suspended, and vice chiefs
become acting heads.
"The mayor plans to participate in competition inside the ruling party to become
the official candidate representing the party, and register as an official
candidate on May 13, after winning the competition," said Lee Jong-hyun, special
assistant for communications for the mayor.
Official candidates may register for the elections May 13-14.
Rep. Won Hee-ryong from the GNP is a potential contender for mayor of Seoul, but
he is not likely to enroll as a preliminary candidate, either.
Regarding the Seoul mayoral election, the strategic nomination of former Prime
Minister Han Myeong-sook is being considered inside the DP, while Rep. Kim
Sung-soon and former Rep. Lee Kye-ahn, also from the DP, announced their
intention to run for the mayor of Seoul. Other DP lawmakers Song Young-gil, Choo
Mi-ae and Park Young-sun have also been mentioned as potential candidates for the
post.
The ruling party and the opposition parties are also expected to vie for posts in
the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election and the Incheon mayoral election.
For the Gyeonggi gubernatorial election, the question of whether incumbent
Governor Kim Moon-su will run for reelection is the focus of interest. Other
strong candidates for the Gyeonggi governorship are Rep. Kim Young-sun on the
ticket of a minor faction loyal to former party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye; Rep.
Nam Kyung-pil from another minor faction; Minister for Health, Welfare and Family
Affairs Jeon Jae-hee, and pro-president Reps. Shim Jae-chul, Won Yoo-chul and Lee
Choon-sik.
Within the opposition DP, executive committee member Kim Jin-pyo and Rep. Lee
Jong-kul stand out as strong contenders for the Gyeonggi governor's office.
Former Chairwoman Sim Sang-jeong from the New Progressive Party also announced
her plan to run for the gubernatorial office.
In Incheon Metropolitan City, incumbent Mayor Ahn Sang-soo has already expressed
his intention of running for the third term. Representatives Park Sang-eun and
Lee Yoon-sung from the pro-president faction inside the GNP and Reps. Yoo
Jeong-bok and Lee Hak-jae from the pro-Park faction in the ruling party are also
probable candidates for Incheon mayor.
kimnh@yna.co.kr
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