Busan Mayoral Campaign Centers on Ocean Capital Ahead of June Local Elections
Busan is shaping up as the most significant battleground in South Korea’s June local elections. Jeon Jae-su, a senior member of the ruling Democratic Party, announced his bid to become Busan mayor, centering his campaign on turning Busan into an “Ocean Capital” and a new growth engine that can rival the Seoul metropolitan area.
Jeon spoke at the Democratic Party’s central headquarters in Seoul on the 17th, during a meeting with the party’s candidate screening committee. He pledged to work with Busan citizens to build the “Ocean Capital Busan” and argued for creating a new growth hub at Korea’s southern end that can compete with the capital region.
As the only Democratic Party lawmaker representing Busan among the city’s 18 local MPs, Jeon has a notable track record in the region. He previously served as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries and led the ministry’s relocation to Busan under President Moon Jae-in. He said he decided to run after being asked by party leadership and asked that a primary be held with Lee Jae-sung, a former Busan city party chairman, regardless of polling differences.
On the Democratic side, the Busan mayoral primary is set to pit Jeon against Lee Jae-sung. Jeon requested that the race proceed even if polling shows a close contest, underscoring his bid to win through the primary process.
The opposition People Power Party has faced internal strife over its selection method for Busan’s mayoral candidate. A proposal would have excluded Park Hyung-joon from the race in favor of Ju Jin-woo as the sole candidate, but Busan members and regional lawmakers pushed back. The party ultimately agreed to stage a primary between Park Hyung-joon and Ju Jin-woo to decide the final candidate.
Busan is regarded as a pivotal test for both parties, given its conservative-leaning tendencies and strategic importance as a port city and logistics hub. A Realmeter poll for Energy Economic News, conducted for the 12th-13th, showed a tight race in the Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam region, with the Democratic Party at 40.1% and the People Power Party at 37.9% in a 100% mobile survey, within the margin of error.
If Jeon Jae-su or Ju Jin-woo wins the mayoral race, they would have to resign their National Assembly seats, triggering by-elections in their constituencies. Jeon represents the Buk-gu area, while Ju Jin-woo represents the Haeundae-gu area. Potential by-election contenders named by observers include Kim Do-kwan, a former Democratic Party lawmaker, and Cho Kuk, the head of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, on the ruling side; on the opposition side, Seo Byung-soo, Jang Ye-chan, and Han Dong-hoon have been mentioned as possible candidates.