The Koreas | Politics | East Asia

Lee Jae-myung Stars in Seoul’s Mayoral Race

This year’s local elections are becoming a contest for presidential favor. That’s a symptom of South Korea’s longstanding personality-driven politics.

When the Democratic Party (DP) held its first primary debate for the Seoul mayoral race, almost all of the five candidates rushed to stress their closeness to President Lee Jae-myung and their willingness to work with him. The moderator fueled this fandom politics as well, asking each candidate whether the president had a favorite – or “Myung-pick,” short for “Lee Jae-myung’s pick.” Throughout the debate, much of the criticism was directed at former Seongdong District Mayor Jung Won-oh, who is supposedly Lee’s preferred candidate and is currently leading among DP contenders while also polling ahead of incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon. 

In a debate meant to decide who should lead the capital city, should the defining question really be which candidate the president prefers? Should it matter? Cooperation with the central government is undeniably important especially for a city as large and influential as Seoul. But loyalty and affinity should not be a standard. Reducing a local election to a contest for presidential favor is a symptom of South Korea’s longstanding personality-driven politics, in which individuals matter more than institutions, platforms, or administrative competence. 

This dynamic was visible on the same day in the DP’s first primary debate for governor of Gyeonggi province. Here again, the five candidates repeatedly highlighted their ties to Lee and their commitment to carrying out his agenda. It was also evident in the party leadership race in mid-2025, when lawmakers Jung Chung-rae and Park Chan-dae competed over who better embodied “Myung-shim” – loyalty to Lee’s heart and mind. Park remarked that he and Lee understand each other just by exchanging glances, while Jung responded that he knows Lee even without looking because of their 20-year relationship. Although party leadership is expected to be heavily influenced by the president early in the term, Jung and Park’s rivalry over who is a more hardline Lee supporter created distorted incentives for them to support bills aimed at eliminating the opposition party – despite Lee’s own emphasis on cooperative governance.

Politics built around individuals rather than institutions inevitably breeds factionalism. Allegiance is formed not based on ideology or competence, but through emotional affinity and personal loyalty. Once a leader’s influence fades, followers are left politically stranded, their careers tied to past associations rather than to their own abilities. The........

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