The outcomes of the Yeonggwang-gun re-election in Jeollanam-do are interpreted as a very important signal that gives a glimpse into the potential of future changes within the Honam political landscape. It’s noteworthy that the Progressive Party and the Fatherland Innovation Party have made rapid progress in Honam, which has traditionally been considered the stronghold of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Particularly, the Progressive Party got here in second place, narrowing the vote gap with the Democratic Party significantly, while the Fatherland Innovation Party remained in third place despite the storm within the early stages of the election. These results are analyzed as the results of a mix of the three parties’ strategies and changes within the votes of Honam voters.
Background of the Progressive Party’s rapid progress, bottom-sweeping strategy and negative advantages
The Progressive Party’s second-place performance provides essential implications for election strategy and vote evaluation. About two months ago, the Progressive Party launched a ‘bottom-sweeping strategy’ similar to community-based volunteer work and helping out in rural areas.
This was effective in strengthening bonds with local residents, providing practical help to voters, and targeting voters. As well as, because the ‘negative war’ between the Democratic Party and the Fatherland Innovation Party continues, there may be an evaluation that the Progressive Party has benefited from distancing itself from the criticism of each side.
Particularly, initially of the election, the Democratic Party and the Innovation Party engaged in a muddy fight, attacking one another’s weaknesses, which worked to the Progressive Party’s advantage. Initially of the election, the Innovation Party got here in first place, however the vote appears to have shifted to the Progressive Party resulting from the aftermath of the negative campaign.
The Progressive Party succeeded in gaining the trust of voters by making up for its limitations of ‘lack of organizational power’ through local activities.
Background of the Innovation Party’s low expectations, limitations of strategy and lack of organizational skills
The Fatherland Innovation Party received great expectations because it took the Honam region by storm within the early stages of the election, but ultimately only got here in third place. That is interpreted because the Innovation Party’s existing ‘Jimin Bijo (Regional Democratic Party, Proportional Fatherland Innovation Party)’ strategy losing its strength on this election.
Within the twenty second general election, the Innovation Party overwhelmed the Democratic Party in Honam with proportional representation votes, but was unable to beat the Democratic Party’s barrier on this election.
The explanations for the Fatherland Innovation Party’s defeat could be broadly divided into three. First, the ‘Jimin-bi-jo’ strategy is not any longer effective. On this re-election, the Democratic Party still received strong support based on its organizational strength and traditional supporters, and the Innovation Party’s vote rate was only 26.6%.
Second, anti-democratic votes were distributed between the Progressive Party and the Innovation Party. Although there have been critical votes against the Democratic Party, the Innovation Party didn’t reap the advantages resulting from the Progressive Party’s advance.
Third, Representative Cho Kuk’s personal dependence is excessively high. Representative Cho Kuk personally found a rented room in Yeonggwang and Gokseong and campaigned intensively, but he appears to have been pushed out resulting from the dearth of organizational power and the Democratic Party’s strong basic organization.
Background of the Democratic Party’s struggles, negative warfare within the garden and lack of votes
The Democratic Party won this election with 41% of the votes, however the undeniable fact that it did not secure a majority of the votes is read as a transparent signal. Negative battles and a lack of votes were major aspects within the Democratic Party’s struggles in areas where it had traditionally easily won.
Democratic Party candidate Jang Se-il was attacked by the Innovation Party from the start of the election and have become embroiled in several controversies, which led to the departure of moderate voters.
As well as, a characteristic of this election is that the Democratic Party did not receive a majority of votes as anti-democratic votes were dispersed resulting from the Progressive Party’s propaganda and the Innovation Party’s storm.
This shows that the Democratic Party now not receives absolute support within the Honam region. Political experts are raising the chance that the Democratic Party will face a greater crisis within the Honam region in future local elections.
Possibility of multipolarization of Honam politics
This re-election of Yeonggwang County suggests the chance that Honam politics will develop into more multipolar in the long run. It is critical that the Progressive Party and the Fatherland Innovation Party recorded 30.72% and 26.56% of the votes, respectively, laying the muse for competition with the Democratic Party.
Because the structure through which the Democratic Party overwhelmingly won up to now is broken, it is extremely likely that a fierce competition structure with progressive parties will likely be formed.
Political analysts are highly evaluating the chance that the Progressive Party and the Innovation Party will destroy the Democratic Party’s stronghold in the subsequent local elections.
Particularly, the Progressive Party’s performance on this election is interpreted as Honam voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party. Nonetheless, as the choice to the Democratic Party shouldn’t be yet clear, it seems that the Democratic Party will still have a bonus in future elections.
The re-election of Yeonggwang County will likely be recorded as a very important election that heralds changes in Honam politics. This result, through which the Democratic Party lost its overwhelming position up to now and the Progressive Party and the Innovation Party emerged as strong competitors, is prone to show a multipolar political landscape in future local elections.
Particularly, the Progressive Party’s progress and the Innovation Party’s falling wanting expectations reveal each party’s strategic tasks, and a focus is concentrated on how they are going to gain voters’ trust in the subsequent election.
Reporter Yang Jun-seok kailas21@aitimes.com
