Five Out of Seven Former Blue House Officials Win Elections

Five of the seven former Blue House officials from the administration of President Lee Jae-myung were elected in the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections.

Woo Sang-ho, the former senior secretary for political affairs, won the governorship of Gangwon Province, while Son Hwa-jung, a former administrative officer in the Office of National Unity, became the inaugural mayor of Incheon Yeongjong.

In the National Assembly by-elections, Kim Nam-jun, Jeon Eun-soo, and Kim Nam-guk, former spokespersons, successfully secured seats.

However, Ha Jung-woo, the former chief of AI Future Planning, lost to independent candidate Han Dong-hoon in Busan Buk-gap, and Kim Byeong-wook, the former senior secretary for political affairs, was defeated by incumbent Kim Shin-gin of the People Power Party in the Seongnam mayoral race.

Woo's victory marks a significant achievement for the Democratic Party, reclaiming Gangwon Province after four years by defeating the incumbent governor. The region is known for its strong conservative base, making this win particularly noteworthy.

In the Incheon Yeongjong mayoral election, Son triumphed over Kim Jeong-heon of the People Power Party by a narrow margin of 349 votes. Son is expected to collaborate with Park Chan-dae, a former floor leader of the Democratic Party, to lead Incheon’s administration.

In the National Assembly by-elections, Kim won in Incheon Gyeongyang, the previous constituency of President Lee, thus continuing his political legacy. Jeon maintained the seat in Asan, Chungnam, previously held by Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok, while Kim secured re-election in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

These elected officials are anticipated to serve as a bridge between the Blue House and the National Assembly within the ruling party.

Conversely, the elections in Busan Buk-gap and Seongnam resulted in losses. The Busan Buk-gap by-election was held following the resignation of former Busan mayor Jeon Jae-soo, making it a critical area for the ruling party, but Ha lost the seat. In Incheon Gyeongyang and Seongnam, both areas are politically significant as they were previously led by President Lee, yet Kim faced defeat.