Daegu: Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is set to formally declare his candidacy for Daegu mayor in the upcoming June local elections, party officials revealed on Sunday. Kim, a prominent figure within the ruling Democratic Party (DP), will announce his bid at the National Assembly and subsequently in Daegu, a city known for its conservative leanings.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim's mayoral run is perceived as a strategic move by the DP to gain traction in a city that has traditionally been a bastion for the conservative bloc. Kim held the position of prime minister from 2021 to 2022 under former liberal President Moon Jae-in and has also served as the interior minister. Despite initially declining the party's proposal to run for the mayoral post in Daegu, Kim agreed after the DP committed full support, emphasizing his agenda of economic revitalization for the city.
Kim, originally from Sangju, a neighboring region to Daegu, has previous experience in local politics, having run for Daegu mayor in 2014 without success. However, he secured a parliamentary seat in a crucial Daegu district in 2016, marking a significant political achievement.
The Democratic Party's selection of Kim comes at a time when the main opposition, the People Power Party (PPP), is facing internal challenges, particularly regarding their candidate selection process for the Daegu mayoralty. The PPP's internal discord follows the exclusion of notable figures such as former National Assembly Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young and former broadcasting watchdog chief Lee Jin-sook from their primary.
Kim plans to solidify his connection to Daegu by registering a change of address to his late father's residence in the city following his announcement. His campaign headquarters occupies the first three floors of a building in Daegu, with the ground floor designed to foster interaction with citizens. An aide to Kim emphasized that the campaign aims to highlight the role of Daegu's citizens in electing their mayor, rather than framing it as a Democratic Party initiative.