The Marmot’s Hole

(By Andy Jackson)

I would say to vote early and often but a commenter beat me to it.

Tomorrow’s vote is the last big test before the Presidential election next year and the results of these local votes will have strong national repercussions.  This piece from the Korea Times gives a pretty good overview of the elections.  There are 16 major races.  The conservative Grand National Party (GNP) is expected to win most of them

In the rest of this piece I will cover campaign nuttiness, races to watch and the coveted Yangban Guest Writer Andy endorsements.

Oh those wacky poiticians

The Seoul mayoral post is the big prize up for grabs and it is also producing its fair share of silliness.  Just check this out (chosun):

Kang Kum-sil, the ruling Uri Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor in the May 31 local elections started what is to be a 72-hour-long marathon election rally at midnight on Saturday. It began with a candlelight prayer before a statue of the Virgin Mary at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. “This is the happiest moment of my life,” Kang told supporters gathered there in a speech peppered with references to radical philosophy. “This rally isn’t just anther election stump but a sacred statement of the will to restore people’s status as the subject” in politics…

Not to be outdone, the Grand National Party’s candidate Oh Se-hoon plans a “triathlon rally” — a reference to a triathlon race he completed in 2004 and a show of determination to do his best until the last minute despite his runaway lead over the other candidate in support rate. In the last three day leading up to the election, dubbed “Hope” (Sunday), “Passion” (Monday)” and “Doing One’s Best,” the main opposition party’s candidate is to zip all around the capital area from dawn to midnight…

Meanwhile, the People First Party’s Yim Ung-kyun continues his “concert rally.” Yim, a renowned tenor and voice professor at Korean National University of Arts, hopes to win over supporters with an all-singing, all-dancing show themed on his policies.

Nice.  Style points must be awarded to Democratic Labor Party candidate Kim Jong-chul for refusing to engage in such silliness.

But the silliest thing I have heard from the Seoul race so far is the Democratic Party’s Park Joo-sun calling for an “underground highway” for Seoul that would surely cost a hundred-billion-gazillion won.

For more silliness in elections around Korea, check this out and then see some more with pictures.

Races to Watch

There are five big races this time.

Seoul Mayor:  This is the race this year.  Uri and the GNP both recruited young reformers to go for the big brass ring.  The GNP’s Oh Se-hoon is running far ahead of Uri’s Kang Kum-sil.  Kang, who is considered to be one of Uri’s greatest stars, has lashed out in frustration at ‘politics’.  Projection:  Oh beats Kang 54% to 35%

Gyeonggi-do Governor:  Uri recruited former Samsung executive Chin Dae-je to run against GNP National Assemblyman and former democracy activists Kim Moon-soo.  The race has been back-and-forth but most of the polls published before six-day pre-election ban had Kim ahead.  Projection:  Kim Prevails 46% to 39%

Gwangju Mayor:  Uri Party Chairman Chung Dong-young says he wants to cooperate with the Democratic Party.  Then why has he visited Gwangju four times to support the Uri Party candidate against the DP’s Park Gwang-tae?  Projection:  Kim beats what’s-his-name 51% to 37%

Daejeon Mayor:  Uri incumbent Yum Hong-chul is strong here but the GNP’s Park Sung-hyo is reportedly closing the gap.  Projection:  Yum wins 42% to 37% but this is a potential upset

Cheju Governor:  This is basically a GNP-on-GNP fight.  For some reason, GNP leaders decided not to nominate Governor Kim Tae-hwan on their ticket and instead gave the nod to former Samsung executive Hyun Myung-kwan.  Kim is in the race as an independent  The two have been running neck-and-neck.  Projection: Hyun holds on 33% to 31%*

The Jeju race might give us the biggest upset of the evening.  With Kim and Hyun going at it, Uri’s Jin Cheol-hun might get just enough votes to slip past both of them.  That would be especially shocking with the rest of the country trending towards the GNP.

Andy’s endorsements

Gyeonggi-do:  Kim Moon-soo (three links)

The rest of Korea:  I don’t have a dog in that fight.  Just tell everyone you know in Gyeonggi-do to vote for Kim Moon-soo