“Pyeongtaek is not a city I chose for politics; it’s where my life began and the hometown I will stand by for the rest of my life.”
Yu Ui‑dong, the People Power Party candidate in the June 3 special election for the Pyeongtaek constituency, said this at the opening of his campaign office in Anjung‑eup, Pyeongtaek, on May 9. “I won’t be a politician who merely passes through. I will grow with the community and be a prepared public servant ready to take responsibility for Pyeongtaek’s future,” he said.
The event drew People Power Party standing campaign chair Kim Moon‑soo; former floor leader Yoo Seung‑min; honorary campaign chair Won Yoo‑chul; Gyeonggi Province gubernatorial candidate Yang Hyang‑ja; Pyeongtaek mayoral candidate Cha Hwa‑yeol; and several municipal and provincial assembly candidates.
Kim Moon‑soo said, “Yu Ui‑dong is the proven candidate who can lead Pyeongtaek’s development,” adding that a victory in this race would mark an important starting point for rebuilding the conservative movement.
Yoo Seung‑min likewise endorsed Yu as “the candidate who best understands Pyeongtaek’s present and future.” He noted that while Pyeongtaek has grown into a key city underpinning South Korea’s economy and security, persistent problems—such as traffic congestion and shortages in essential public services—remain. He pledged to raise the city’s overall competitiveness through region‑focused development strategies.
Won Yoo‑chul said, “Yu has worked with us on local issues, including extending the special Pyeongtaek support law,” calling him a politician who understands the trajectory of Pyeongtaek’s development better than anyone.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Choi Won‑yong, the Democratic Party candidate for Pyeongtaek mayor, opened his campaign office and launched his campaign committee to rally supporters.
The Pyeongtaek constituency special election has become a five‑way race: People Power’s Yu Ui‑dong; Democratic Party candidate Kim Yong‑nam; Jo Guk of the Reform Party; Progressive Party candidate Kim Jae‑yeon; and Hwang Kyo‑ahn of the Freedom and Innovation Party.
However, Hwang Kyo‑ahn said on the night of May 5 that he is prepared not only to unify with People Power’s Yu Ui‑dong but even to consider a merger to secure a conservative victory. That statement has made the prospect of conservative consolidation a central variable in the race.
Locally, observers noted that the joint appearance by Kim Moon‑soo and Yoo Seung‑min could signal that a conservative mobilization centered on Pyeongtaek is beginning to gain real momentum.
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