Conservative stronghold Daegu shaken by party infighting

Apr 06, 2026, 09:45 am

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Joo Ho-young (right), vice speaker of the National Assembly, shakes hands with Kim Boo-kyum during a joint Easter service held at Daegu Stadium on April 5. /Yonhap

The political landscape in Daegu, long considered a conservative stronghold, is being shaken by internal conflict within the People Power Party, raising concerns over a potential split in conservative votes.

The turmoil comes as heavyweight politician Kim Boo-kyum of the Democratic Party of Korea enters the race, making the outcome increasingly unpredictable.

Amid a nomination dispute, Joo Ho-young and former broadcasting regulator Lee Jin-sook, both excluded from the ruling party’s nomination, are considering independent bids. Their potential candidacies have raised the possibility of a four-way race, heightening fears of vote fragmentation within conservative ranks.

Joo is expected to continue legal action following a court’s rejection of his injunction request against the nomination cutoff. He is also set to announce his position on the mayoral race at a press conference on April 8, leaving open the option of running as an independent.

Lee has already begun moving across the region, signaling a possible independent campaign.

If both candidates run independently, the Daegu mayoral race could turn into a multi-candidate contest involving the Democratic Party’s nominee, an official ruling party candidate, and independent contenders. Analysts say such a scenario could benefit Kim by splitting conservative support.

Adding to the uncertainty, former Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo publicly endorsed Kim, drawing backlash from within conservative circles.

In a social media post, Hong said, “After I supported Kim Boo-kyum, People Power Party members are making a fuss. Why do they care how someone they pushed out is doing?”

Further complicating matters, speculation is growing over a possible alliance among independent candidates. If Joo resigns his parliamentary seat to run, former party leader Han Dong-hoon could enter a by-election in his constituency, raising the prospect of coordinated independent moves.

The People Power Party is now attempting to manage the situation to avoid a worst-case scenario. Party leadership has urged Lee to instead run in a parliamentary by-election, while also sending messages encouraging Joo to reconsider an independent bid.

Observers note that Joo faces significant political risks if he resigns his seat and runs independently, as a defeat could damage his standing within the party.

A party official said it is unlikely that Joo, a six-term lawmaker, would easily relinquish his political base, adding that ongoing communication and persuasion efforts are continuing behind the scenes.

#Daegu election #People Power Party #Joo Ho-young #Kim Boo-kyum