"Up to 17 Mini General Elections" in June 3 By-elections... Opposition Parties Deliberate Response

Democratic Party to Feature New Faces in Their 40s

People Power Party Lacks High-Profile Candidates

The upcoming by-elections for National Assembly members, which will be held simultaneously with the 9th nationwide local elections on June 3, are shaping up to be a "mini general election," with as many as 17 constituencies possibly being contested.

According to political circles on April 13, five constituencies have so far been confirmed for by-elections: Gyeyang-gu Gap in Incheon, Ansan-si Gap and Pyeongtaek-si Eul in Gyeonggi Province, Gunsan-si·Gimje-si·Buan-gun Gap in North Jeolla Province, and Asan-si Eul in South Chungcheong Province. In addition, due to candidates running in the local elections, there is a high likelihood of by-elections also being held in five other constituencies: Buk-gu Gap in Busan, Yeonsu-gu Gap in Incheon, Hanam-si Gap in Gyeonggi Province, Nam-gu Gap in Ulsan, and Gunsan-si·Gimje-si·Buan-gun. If both major parties complete their nominations for the remaining local elections, the number of constituencies subject to by-elections could increase to as many as 17.

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on April 13, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The Democratic Party of Korea is expected to field a slate of new faces. For Buk-gap in Busan, the party is making efforts to recruit Ha Jungwoo, Senior Presidential Secretary for Future Planning and AI at the Blue House. Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae also plans to meet Ha in person this week to request that he run. For Nam-gap in Ulsan, which is considered a challenging constituency, the party is considering deploying its top-recruited talent.

Young professionals in their 40s with Blue House experience are also preparing to run. Kim Namjun, former spokesperson for the Blue House (Gyeyang Eul), and Kim Namguk, former Digital Communication Secretary (Ansan Gap), are gearing up for candidacy. However, discussions regarding electoral alliances with other Democratic and progressive parties remain an outstanding issue. The Progressive Party is demanding that Kim Jaeyeon, its leader who is running for mayor of Ulsan, withdraw from running in Pyeongtaek Eul as a precondition for unifying the Ulsan mayoral candidacy.

The People Power Party has received nominations from former Assemblyman Jang Sungmin for Ansan Gap, and from former Assemblymen Yoo Eui-dong and Lee Jaeyoung for Pyeongtaek Eul. In addition, former Assemblyman Park Minsik and former KBS reporter Lee Youngpung are reportedly vying for the nomination in Buk-gap. A party official from the People Power Party commented, "Since there is a prevailing atmosphere that we are likely to lose, competitive candidates are hesitant to run."

Meanwhile, Han Donghoon, former party leader who was expelled from the People Power Party, is considering running as an independent in Buk-gap, Busan. If an additional by-election arises during the Daegu mayoral primary, there is also interest in whether Lee Jinsook, former chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, may be reassigned as the People Power Party candidate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.