Daejeon mayoral race seen as indicator

DAEJEON -- Daejeon's mayoral election on June 13 is expected to serve as a reliable barometer of public sentiment in the Chungcheong provinces for the Dec. 19 presidential election. Yum Hong-chul of the Grand National Party and Hong Sun-kee of the United Liberal Democrats, a de facto candidate of a ULD-Millennium Democratic Party coalition, will compete in a close race.

Throughout the history of modern South Korean politics, Daejeon has been the opinion-leader in the central part of the country. In 1995, Kim Jong-pil, who was thrown out from the then-ruling Democratic Liberal Party, made a political comeback by winning the hearts of Daejeon residents. The Chungcheong provinces became the United Liberal Democrats' heartland. In this year's mayoral election, however, the voters of Daejeon have not yet made up their minds.

Support for Mr. Kim is on the decline. "He did nothing for us," said a taxi driver in Daejeon.

But some still hope for a new Chungcheong-based political power. "Residents of the Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions built up their groups," said a businessman in Yuseong, on the city's outskirts. "Why can't we?"

The Grand National Party is promoting its top leaders -- presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang and party head Suh Chung-won -- as Chungcheong natives. While they do have roots in the region, few here consider them representative of the provinces.

Perhaps conceding the loss of its sway over the region, the United Liberal Democrats said they plan to focus their mayoral campaign on the issues and the candidate. The Grand Nationals, meanwhile, are beating the drum of regionalism. A campaign poster in Daejeon reads: "We are replacing the United Liberal Democrats as the only party to promote the interests of the Chungcheong provinces."

by Kim Jung-ha