Key liberal figures get election nods

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's nominations for June 3 local elections are picking up pace, with heavyweights being named in key regions.

The latest nomination to have been confirmed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is Kim Kyoung-soo, who led the presidential committee dedicated to balanced national development until Thursday.

Kim was once considered a potential presidential contender, with ties to former presidents Moon Jae-in and Roh Moo-hyun.

According to Kim Yi-su, who leads the Democratic Party's internal committee to name candidates for the June election, Kim Kyoung-soo, who offered to step down from his post Wednesday, was selected as the sole candidate for the party's nomination in the gubernatorial race in South Gyeongsang Province.

With the nomination, Kim will contend for a second term as the head of South Gyeongsang Province. His first term as governor was cut short after he was convicted for his role in manipulating public opinion in 2021. Park Wan-su of the main opposition People Power Party was elected governor in 2022.

Winning the election would allow Kim to "repay the debt" he feels he owes the people there for not being able to complete his previous four-year term, Kim Kyoung-soo told reporters.

The Democratic Party's was already confirmed nominations for Woo Sang-ho, a former four-term lawmaker who worked as President Lee Jae Myung's aide until January, and Rep. Park Chan-dae, who was the floor leader when Lee chaired the party prior to becoming president in June 2025.

Woo was named on Feb. 27 as the Democratic Party's candidate for the position as Gangwon Province governor, while Park on Wednesday was selected as the candidate for the Incheon mayor seat. Both positions are held by conservative People Power Party figures: Gangwon Province Gov. Kim Jin-tae and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok.

The Democratic Party had earlier confirmed that five figures will vie for the ruling party's candidacy for the Seoul mayoral post, and another five would compete to be governor of Gyeonggi Province.

A day before the deadline, Chong Won-o, who is considered a leading candidate for the Seoul mayoral nomination, stepped down from his post Wednesday heading the Seongdong-gu District Office, of which he served three terms.

Three more liberal figures will be contenders for the Democratic Party's candidacy in Ulsan, while eight figures were confirmed to be competing for the mayoral seat of the newly merged Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, a liberal stronghold in the southwest.

However, the president's chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, who was long rumored to be eyeing a nomination in June's elections, had not announced his departure from his post as of Thursday. All eyes are now on whether the pending special bill on the megacity in the Chungcheong region would include a special clause regarding the deadline for a public official to quit to be eligible for its candidacy under the Public Official Election Act.

Meanwhile, the latest Gallup Korea poll suggested on Feb. 27 that support for the Democratic Party came to 43 percent, nearly double that of the People Power Party's 22 percent.