The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles that try to capture the voter sentiment in key regions. The following is the final installment on South Gyeongsang Province, Busan and Ulsan, a once conservative stronghold. -- Ed.

The once conservative stronghold of the southeast -- South Gyeongsang Province, Ulsan and Busan -- appears divided in this year’s presidential election.

Busan and South Gyeongsang Province are the country’s third- and fourth-largest electorates with 2.95 million and 2.74 million voters, respectively. Combined with Ulsan’s 940,000, the region’s total comes to over 6.5 million, just 20 percent of which would be more than sufficient to tip the balance. In three of the most recent five presidential elections, the winner was decided by 1 million or less votes.





While far short of the neighboring North Gyeongsang Province, the “PK region” is by and large a conservative area.

The region has traditionally supported the most right-wing candidate available since the direct presidential election was revived in 1987. In the most recent four presidential elections, conservative candidates took between half and two-thirds of the region’s votes.

In the 1992 presidential election, more than 70 percent of the region’s voters picked late former President Kim Young-sam over Kim Dae-jung. The only exception was the 1987 election, in which Kim Young-sam was runner-up to former President Roh Tae-woo, the successor to the authoritarian Chun Doo-hwan regime. At the time, Busan and South Gyeongsang Province were the only two areas in which Roh was defeated by Kim.

This year, however, the region is showing an uncharacteristic slant toward the left, pushed by the political scandal that saw President Park Geun-hye ousted and arrested.

A Gallup Korea poll released May 3 showed that Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea had the support of 42 percent of voters in the region. In comparison, the figure for Hong Joon-pyo of the right-wing Liberty Korea Party stood at 23 percent, far short of the support the region showed former President Park Geun-hye.

In the 2012 presidential election, Park received about 60 percent of votes and a Gallup survey released just before the Dec. 19 voting day put Park’s support rating at about 50 percent in the region.

However, figures do not tell the whole story. There is still an apparent divide between age groups.

“I’ve always voted for them (conservatives), and this time won’t be any different,” said Chung, a 67-year old shopkeeper born and raised in Busan. He added that most of his friends are like-minded.

“Who the president (will be) won’t make that much difference to someone like me. Still, I think someone on the left will be bad for the country.”

His son, however, has a very different idea.

“My father says I am being stupid, but I think my family has no actual reason (for voting conservative) and I will vote for someone else (other than conservative candidates),” said his son, a 37-year-old factory worker.

He also said that his favorite candidate is Sim Sang-jeung as he believes that the Justice Party candidate is “the only one who knows about workers,” but he will vote for a non-conservative candidate with a higher chance of winning.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)