Cho Eung-cheon Enters Gyeonggi Governor’s Race, Setting Up Three-Way Contest

Reform Party politician Cho Eung-cheon declared his candidacy for Gyeonggi governor on April 28, a move expected to turn the race into a three-way contest with the Democratic Party and the People Power Party. With Rep. Choo Mi-ae confirmed as the Democratic Party’s candidate, a possible conservative alliance between the People Power Party and the Reform Party has emerged as a key variable.

At a news conference at the National Assembly, Cho urged voters to “put down the wrong answer sheets of bad candidates and strange candidates” and choose “the good candidate, Cho Eung-cheon,” to lead the province. He accused both major parties of “bullying politics” that treats Gyeonggi as a stepping stone for political ambition, saying the two parties had “taken away” residents’ choices.

Cho criticized the Democratic Party, saying it viewed Gyeonggi residents as “fish already caught.” Taking aim at Choo, he said the party’s nomination reflected arrogance — as if it could “win even by putting up a stick” — and questioned why it would field someone he said had no ties to Gyeonggi and had focused on political fights in Seoul’s National Assembly. He also faulted the People Power Party, saying it still had no candidate because no senior figure had stepped forward and even an additional recruitment effort failed to find a competitive contender.

Cho pointed to the election of Rep. Lee Jun-seok in Hwaseong’s Dongtan area in the last general election, saying residents there showed that voters will choose a better option when one is available. “Now is the time to make the Dongtan miracle happen across all of Gyeonggi,” he said.

The Reform Party said it aims to serve as an alternative force by challenging what it called the entrenched politics of the two major parties. Party leader Lee accompanied Cho at the news conference and said the People Power Party “no longer has the strength or ability” to stand up to the Democratic Party. He said the Reform Party has a clear purpose and that Cho decided to run because he was convinced about ending two-party politics.

Cho, however, left open the possibility of a unified conservative candidacy with the People Power Party. “We have no reason to unify,” he said, adding that if the People Power Party makes a proposal, “we will listen.”

The People Power Party is holding its primary for the Gyeonggi governor’s race. Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja, former MBC announcer Lee Seong-bae and former Korea Expressway Corp. president Ham Jin-gyu are running, with the party set to confirm its final candidate on May 2. Any talks on a conservative alliance are expected to intensify after that selection.