Local ties matter enormously in politics — two Seoul district mayors with shallow roots in their districts ultimately failed to win reelection in the June 3 local elections, while four others who rose through Seoul city hall went on to win second and third terms
Every community has its version of the "hometown bird" — the instinct to guard familiar territory against outsiders.
Just as birds defend their turf, people tend to be slow to accept those unfamiliar to their community or organization. The world of public administration is no exception.
Many civil servants who move from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to one of the city's autonomous districts spend considerable time before they are truly absorbed into the new organization. Beyond professional competence, earning the trust that comes with being seen as "one of us" is a process that takes time.
In politics, the phenomenon is even more pronounced.
Candidates with impressive careers at central government ministries or Seoul city hall have often struggled at the ballot box simply because they had not earned the trust of local residents and organizations. The same logic applies to officials who finished senior posts at Seoul city hall, then returned to their hometowns to run for county chief, only to find the wall of local loyalty too high to scale.
The June 3 local elections produced similar results.
District mayors who won without local roots — and then failed to win reelection
Park Il-ha, the outgoing Dongjak-gu district mayor, began his career as a Grade 8 civil servant at the Korea Railroad and finished his public service at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport before winning the district mayor's seat. His administrative competence was widely acknowledged, but he could not overcome weak local political roots and internal party friction, and ultimately failed to secure his party's nomination. He ran under a different party banner but lost his reelection bid. Assessments widely circulated within Seoul's civil service noted that his top-down leadership style during his tenure had made life particularly difficult for staff inside the district office.
Lee Pil-hyung, the outgoing Dongdaemun-gu district mayor, spent his school years in Dongdaemun but devoted most of his public career to the National Intelligence Service. After taking office, he pursued a range of initiatives — including a project to transform the district into a city of flowers — but could not clear the reelection threshold. Some observers note, however, that if he continues to build his local base, the door to a future political comeback remains open.
District mayors with strong local roots who won second and third terms
By contrast, those who combined experience at Seoul city hall with genuine local roots built comparatively stable political foundations.
Ryu Gyeong-gi, the Jungnang-gu district mayor, graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in political science, entered Seoul city hall through the civil service examination and served as head of the administrative bureau, head of the planning and coordination office, and first administrative vice mayor before running for district mayor. He secured a third term in the June 3 elections, cementing his standing as a local leader.
Seo Gang-seok, the Songpa-gu district mayor, graduated from the University of Seoul, passed the civil service examination and served as head of the finance bureau and head of the human resources development institute at Seoul city hall before winning the district mayor's seat. He, too, won reelection.
Jeon Seong-su, the Seocho-gu district mayor, graduated from Seoul National University's College of Law, passed the civil service examination and held posts including head of the general affairs division, administrative division and public relations division at Seoul city hall. He went on to serve as a senior administrative official at Cheong Wa Dae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and administrative vice mayor of Incheon. A seasoned administrator, he won reelection by a wide margin in the June 3 vote.
Kim Gyeong-ho, the Gwangjin-gu district mayor, graduated from Chonnam National University, passed the civil service examination and served as head of the urban transportation headquarters, head of the welfare headquarters, deputy district mayor of Gwangjin-gu, and secretary-general of the Seoul Metropolitan Council before winning reelection for a second consecutive term — from the eighth to the ninth round of popular elections.
Yoo Bo-hwa, the incoming Seongdong-gu district mayor, is something of a fortunate exception: she won the district mayor's seat on the strength of having served four years as the district's deputy mayor — a local connection that proved decisive.
It is rare for a deputy district mayor to go on to become district mayor.
The strong showing of former Seoul Metropolitan Council members is also notable.
Kim Mi-gyeong of Eunpyeong-gu and Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu built solid political bases through years of council work and consistent engagement with local residents, and both secured third terms.
Of course, election outcomes cannot be explained by local ties alone. Party nominations, local issues, candidate competitiveness and the overall electoral landscape all play complex, interlocking roles.
What does seem clear, however, is that the trust and organizational roots built alongside a community over time cannot be created overnight.
Ultimately, local self-governance cannot be sustained by administrative ability alone. Lasting political survival requires accumulating shared time with residents, engaging with local organizations, and building trust through that process.
In local politics, the highest wall a candidate faces may not be a rival's impressive résumé — it may simply be the challenge of being recognized as someone who truly belongs to the community.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
