Will the First-Ever Female Provincial Governor Emerge? Conservative Alliance in Gyeonggi Draws Attention

Yang Hyangja and Cho Eungcheon: Moving Toward Alliance or Unification?

There is a growing possibility that the first-ever female provincial governor in South Korea’s history will be elected in the upcoming 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3, 2026. This is due to the fact that both the first and second largest parties in the National Assembly have each nominated female candidates for the position of Gyeonggi Province Governor.

The People Power Party selected Yang Hyangja, Supreme Council member, as its candidate for Gyeonggi Governor through a primary held on May 2. With Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea having already been confirmed as the candidate, both major parties have fielded female candidates for the Gyeonggi Governor race. Together with reformist New Reform Party candidate Cho Eungcheon, the election is shaping up as a three-way contest.

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Currently leading in various opinion polls, candidate Choo will tour the northeastern region, including Yangju and Guri, on May 4 to campaign for votes. Candidate Yang will continue her efforts toward party unity by having lunch with Lee Seong-bae, the former announcer who ran against her in the primary. Candidate Cho will participate in a joint meeting of opposition candidates from the Seoul metropolitan area to build a common front against the 'special prosecutor for withdrawal of indictment' proposal he initiated.

The three candidates share a unique connection, as they were all once members of the Democratic Party. In the 2016 Democratic Party national convention, Choo and Yang were elected as party leader and the Supreme Council member representing women, respectively. Yang and Cho were both recruited into politics by former President Moon Jae-in ahead of the 20th National Assembly election, making them political newcomers from the same cohort.

While South Korea has had a female president, it has never elected a female head of a metropolitan or provincial government. Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and People Power Party lawmaker Kim Eun-hye both came close to winning the positions of Seoul Mayor and Gyeonggi Governor, respectively, in the 5th and 8th local elections, but both lost by less than one percentage point.

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Political circles and observers describe the early dynamics of the Gyeonggi Governor race as “one strong, one moderate, one weak.” Candidate Choo is leading, Yang is in pursuit, and Cho is focused on expanding his support base.

There is also speculation within the political community that the two conservative opposition parties could unify their candidates. Tensions have been evident from the outset. On this day, candidate Yang did not attend the joint meeting proposed by candidate Cho, citing her campaign schedule. Some interpret this as a move to consider leverage in potential future alliances or unification efforts.

Appearing on KBS’s “Jeon-gyeok Sisa” program, candidate Yang stated, “A candidate who can be unified must prioritize reviving Gyeonggi’s economy, have a clear philosophy and commitment to conservative innovation, and agree on the need to check the Democratic Party’s dominance.” Candidate Cho, appearing on MBC’s “Kim Jongbae’s Focus,” said, “Depending on how things unfold, I could come in first place, but the People Power Party will comfortably secure second.”

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